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Seventies glam rock musician Jobriath was known as "The American Bowie," "The True Fairy of Rock & Roll," and "Hype of the Year." The first openly gay rock star, Jobriath's reign was brief, lasting less than two years and two albums. Done in by a over-hyped publicity machine, shunned by the gay community, and dismissed by critics as all flash and no substance, Jobriath was excommunicated from the music business. He retreated to the Chelsea Hotel where he died, forgotten, in 1983 at the age of 37, as one of the earliest casualties of AIDS. In the years since his death, new generations of fans have discovered his music through acts as diverse as Morrissey, Def Leppard, The Pet Shop Boys, and Gary Numan, all of whom have cited Jobriath as an influence. Through interviews, archival material, and animation, audiences can experience the heartbreaking and unbelievable story of the one, the only, Jobriath.

Media

Watch trailer »

Watch clip on Dangerous Minds »

Bonus Materials

• Extra Interviews with Dennis Christopher, Gloria Jones, Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Jane Country, Joe Elliiott (Def Leopard), Justin Tranter (Semi-Precious Weapons), Marc Almond, and Will Sheff (Okkerville River)
• Jobriath Recording Session Short Film
• Marc Almond music video of his version of a Jobriath song
• Director's Commentary

Sales Points

• Narrated by Henry Rollins
• Appearances by: Marc Almond, Joey Arias, Jayne County, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields, Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons

Press Quotes

Neither for the ears of the elderly nor for those with middle-aged perspectives, Jobriath voiced the excess destitution of New York's most tormentedly aware, whose lives were favoured by darkness. Cinematic themes of desperate dramas in paranoid shadows were presented as choppy and carnivalesque melodies...Neither America nor England was quite ready.

     —Morrissey

Kieran Turner's incredible 2012 documentary on the life of glam rock casualty and gay icon Jobriath.

     —Dangerous Minds

Utterly enthralling, filled with rare archival footage and fleshed out with animation, insightful commentators, and lots of Jobriath's own music to make the case that a true genius fell through the cracks.

     —Crave

This accomplished and compelling documentary leaves some indelible marks.

     —Alternet

An intriguing portrait of a talented artist whose career was doomed by his own hype machine and the public's unwillingness to accept his unhidden, uncoded homosexuality. The film is nicely supplemented by high-quality bonuses, including a vinyl record of previously unreleased music. Highly Recommended.

     —DVD Talk