Sweet Georgia Brown by Billy Tipton

Billy Tipton (1914-1989), by some people's standards, deceived by leading the life of a man from 1935 to 1989 or so. This is, I suppose, open to debate (why is that people who would pass chromosonal tests as male, but reject male stereotypes and images, are NOT so accused...?), but at least he LIVED, which is more than some people can say...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• billy tipton
• transfolks
• music
• jazz

[Timmybear]

I removed TheSgtDouglas' remarks and the responses because by this point it has become a tiresome debate. There are more important issues in this world than gender, really. I appreciate the responses to Douglas' comments, though.

[Timmybear]

I think it sort of depends who you know. Billy looks pretty much like a lot of my relatives did, and looked much like my older male relativees when he was an older man. Plus, again, what people don't seem to think about (mostly because they rarely have to) is that expectations influence perception. I don't remember ever thinking that men and women were NATURALLY meant to be in relationships, so I used to ask my sister's friends if they had boyfriends or girlfriends, regardless of gender.

[musicismygirlfriend3]

Stop calling him a she..

[Timmybear]

@musicismygirlfriend3 - Quite. And I like your screen-name. :)

[AGuyInAHat]

Billy was a true commitment to what a woman could do, though I was a little disappointed in her for hiding who she was, but it doesn't matter she was an amazing musician and that is all that counts.

[Timmybear]

@AGuyInAHat - I suppose it depends whether Billy 'was' that identity, but we'll never really know. I mean, I've never hidden being queer, but I get a lot of people (more queer than straight) who seem to WANT me to hide, because I'm not a 'good example'. Well, I'd rather be a bad example than a good zero.

[Timmybear]

@cremington11 - I suggest consulting a doctor. You're clearly suffering from synethesia, in which people can see smells, taste colours, etc.

[MajorHoolihan]

After a savage beatings from her father, she eventually "settled down" married and had children. It was a huge, HUGE scandal at the time. I used to curl up behind my Grandmother's couch to read and overheard a LOT of grown up gossip not intended for children's ears. These people are long since passed away which is too bad. I've always thought Margaret's story would have made a good book or movie.

[MajorHoolihan]

There are people who lived and died without ever knowing what homosexuality was. It WAS a more innocent/uninformed place and time not that long ago.

True story. WWII. Okmulgee, Oklahoma. My father's wealthy stepdad was notified his son was named as the father in a paternity suit. Problem was, he didn't have a son. Seems his daughter, Margaret, was dressing up as a man and meeting women in bars at night. Her wealthy family was probably the reason she was targets for paternity fraud.

[naizret]

Thank you for posting this; I had always wondered what Billy Tipton sounded like (on the piano). I can't imagine that her decision to disguise herself as a male had anything to with music since there were then (Mary Lou Williams, Lil Hardin) and there are now (Barbara Carroll, Marian McPartland) female jazz pianists who enjoyed much greater professional success than Billy Tipton.

[mloogmusic]

I would have loved to have been in on the jazz scene in the 30's and 40's, but I told myself i would have needed to be a white man, because of the discrimation.

Billy Tipton is so inspiring.

[moonlovei]

@gomika I wish I could give your comment more thumbs ups, but I think I'll settle for a mental high-five for being awesome.

[Perverzion]

Where did you get this song? Do you have any others of his? Particularly, I'm looking for "Willow Weep for Me."

[sTapleEVA]

@turgore with fat people, it's hard to tell if they are male or female sometimes XD

[sTapleEVA]

@jonathanclark1000 how was it when he taught you to wipe? :P

[gomika]

@mmmmmvodka he didn't "fool" anyone. The only person doing any fooling here is yourself, thinking that a vagina gives you a magical ticket to womanhood. Billy was a bloke through and through. I dare you to live your entire life as a gender that is not the one you indentify with "just for kicks" or "to fool people." Thats shit's a myth. this is peoples lives. THIS WAS BILLY'S LIFE. there was no "FOOLING" anywhere, he just lived to the best of his capabilities. you're a douchebag.