Carole Pope
Carole Pope | |
---|---|
Electronic | |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Singing |
Website | carolepope |
Carole Ann Pope (born 6 August 1950) entertainers to achieve mainstream fame.
Early life
Pope was born on 6 August 1950[2] in the rural outskirts of Manchester in England. She was the oldest of four children born to Jack Pope, a salesperson, a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain,[3] and a circus stilt walker, and to Celia, a music hall performer. Pope grew up with two sisters, Diane and Elaine, and a brother, Howard.[4] At the age of five, Pope emigrated with her parents to Montreal.[5] After a couple of years there, the family moved to the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario.[6] She studied at Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute.[7]
Music career
1968–1988: Rough Trade
Pope met her longtime musical partner
In 1975, Pope and Staples recruited several backup musicians and formed the band
Whilst with Rough Trade, Pope sang backup vocals on
Rough Trade released their first studio album, Avoid Freud, and also made an appearance in the Canadian horror film,
Although Rough Trade did not record or perform extensively after its final Deep Six in '86 tour, they did not officially break up until 1988. Since breaking up, the band has had numerous reunions, and in 2022, Rough Trade - The Musical, a musical based on the band's music (and the life of Pope's late brother, Howard), debuted at Joe's Pub, in Manhattan.[14]
1988–1999: Solo Beginnings
After Rough Trade disbanded, Pope released her debut solo single in 1988, which was a cover of The Flirtations' 1968 soul hit, Nothing but a Heartache. The B-side was her self-penned song, I'm Not Blind. She relocated to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue opportunities in soundtrack work and acting, and produced the soundtrack for The Silencer, a thriller movie directed by Amy Goldstein, which was released in 1992.
In 1995, Pope announced she was no longer living in Los Angeles. That same year, she released her debut EP,
2000–2005: Release of autobiography and first solo album
In 2000, Random House published Pope's autobiography, Anti Diva.[17][6] The book included Pope's first public acknowledgement that she had been in a relationship with British singer Dusty Springfield in the early 1980s.[18][19][20] That year she and Staples contributed a track to the Dusty Springfield tribute album Forever Dusty: Homage to an Icon.[21][22] Anti Diva also revealed fleeting 1970s dalliances with comic actress Andrea Martin and music producer Bob Ezrin. Years later, Pope discussed attending Dusty Springfield's funeral where she spent time with the Pet Shop Boys, amongst other notables.[23]
Soon afterwards, Pope re-recorded the Rough Trade single "
2011–present: Second solo album, EP, and collaborations
In 2011, Pope released Landfall, her second full-length album, featuring a duet with Rufus Wainwright.[24] That year she also was a guest vocalist on the album The Hills Are Alive by the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata.[25]
Pope is an ambassador for the
On 22 September 2017, Pope released the single, This Is Not A Test.[28] An accompanying music video, directed by Jasun Mark, was released on 8 May 2018.[29] Later that same year, Pope collaborated with keyboardist Kevin Hearn to release the single, Resist It, on 22 October 2018.,[30] which was later accompanied by a music video directed by Phillip Harder.[31] A third single, I'm There, produced in collaboration with Spoons' keyboardist Rob Preuss, was released the following year.
In 2021, Pope released a song in collaboration with Ottawa band, Church of Trees, World's A Bitch, and later that year released Speaking In Code, a single produced alongside Canadian performer, Clara Venice. Venice had previously contributed Theremin to Pope's 2017 single, This Is Not A Test.[32]
Pope was a guest judge on the third season of Canada's Drag Race.[33]
On 21 July 2023, it was announced that a documentary based on Pope's autobiography is in development. The documentary is titled Anti Diva: The Carole Pope Confessions and is being funded by The Canada Media Fund. The Gay Agenda production company is responsible for producing the documentary.[34]
Personal life
Pope resided in New York as of 2020[update].[35]
Health
In March 2018, Pope was forced to cancel a Toronto performance after suffering a fractured ankle.[36] She later cancelled all Summer performances that same year after she experienced mobility issues whilst touring, and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. She underwent surgery[37] and a fundraiser was created via GoFundMe to cover her living expenses.[38]
Solo discography
Albums
- Transcend (2005)
- Landfall (2011)
EPs
- Radiate (1995)
- The Silencer (1999)
- Music for Lesbians (2014; 2015 re-release with Squirtgun/eOne)
Singles
- "Nothing but a Heartache" / "I'm Not Blind" (1988, B-side reissued in 2022 as a single)
- "Transcend" (1999)
- "World Of One" (2000)
- "Johnny Marr" (2007)
- "Shining Path/Tell Me" (2010)
- "Viral 01/Viral 02" (2011)
- "Francis Bacon" (2013)
- "Lesbians in the Forest" (featuring Peaches) (2013)
- "Vagina Wolf" (2014)
- "This Is Not a Test" (2017)
- "Resist It" (with Kevin Hearn) (2018)
- "I'm There" (with Rob Preuss) (2019)
- "I Want to Live" (2020)
- "World's a Bitch" (2021) (with Church of Trees and Rob Preuss)
- "Speaking in Code" (2021) (with Clara Venice)
- "More Or Less" (2024) (Bandcamp exclusive)
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Dangerous Offender: The Marlene Moore Story | Bar Patron | TV movie |
1997 | Pippi Longstocking | Teacher | Film |
1998 | Elimination Dance | Partner of woman whose urine sample is lost in the mail | Short |
2009 | Suck | Club Bouncer | Film |
References
- ^ "A Brief History of Rough Trade With Carole Pope and Kevan Staples". www.laventure.net. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ Levy, Joseph (December 2014). "A Brief History of Rough Trade With Carole Pope and Kevan Staples". L'Aventure. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Pop-up Video: Rough Trade performs 'Dyke by Default' | from the Vaults". YouTube.
- ^ "Excerpt from Anti Diva". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- ^ a b "A Brief History of Rough Trade With Carole Pope and Kevan Staples". laventure.net. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Carole Pope unpeeled". The Globe and Mail, Elizabeth Renzetti. 25 November 2000
- ISBN 978-1-4602-6651-9.
- ISBN 978-0-7710-4793-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4950-2890-8.
- ISBN 978-1-55028-315-0.
- ^ a b "Carole Pope: Not Going Gently". GO Magazine, 24 April 2012. by Andrew Vail
- ^ Nona Hendryx - Nona, 1983, retrieved 16 November 2022
- ^ Littler, William (23 November 1987). "Schafer on to something in trying to reform opera". Toronto Star. Toronto. pp. D6.Green, Robert Everett (23 November 1987). "Undisciplined script detracts from Patria's superb music". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. pp. C9.
- ^ "ROUGH TRADE". publictheater.org. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ Carole Pope Interview (1995), retrieved 19 August 2023
- ^ Carole Pope Interview (1995), retrieved 19 August 2023
- ISBN 978-1-55458-771-1.
- ISBN 0679310487.
- ^ Pope, Carol[e] (2000). "The Only One Who Could Ever Reach Me". Saturday Night. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ Richards, Linda (January 2001). "Auntie Diva: an interview with Carole Pope". January Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ "Forever Dusty: A Tribute To Dusty Springfield (Homage To An Icon)". discogs. 2000. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- The Advocate. p. 62.
- ^ "Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 823: Carole Pope". Toronto Mike'd Podcast, 21 March 2021
- ^ a b "JUNE FEATURE INTERVIEW: MUSIC ICON AND PIONEER CAROLE POPE". Tuck Magazine, 1 June 2012
- ^ "Album review: Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, 'The Hills Are Alive'". Metro West Daily News, 22 March 2011
- ^ Carole Pope, retrieved 16 January 2020
- ^ Fuller, Cam (17 August 2015). "Carole Pope Still Doing it Her Way". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ Wheeler, Brad (27 March 2018). "What Carole Pope loves (and doesn't love) about living in Los Angeles". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ Carole Pope, This Is Not A Test – Official Video by Carole Pope, retrieved 12 January 2019
- ^ Pope, Kevin Hearn & Carole. "Carole Pope + Kevin Hearn Release Politically Charged Single "Resist It"" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ KevinHearnMusic, Resist It (Official Video) – Kevin Hearn & Carole Pope, retrieved 12 January 2019
- ^ "This Is Not A Test, by carole pope". Carole Pope. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ Major, Michael. "VIDEO: Watch the Trailer For CANADA'S DRAG RACE & Guest Judges Announced". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Justin. "CMF invests over $14M across Indigenous, POV programs". Playback. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ Fox, Darren (26 June 2020). "NEO.RETRO.FM Welcomes CAROLE POPE of ROUGH TRADE 6.26.20 Pt 1". Spreaker. Retrieved 14 July 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Friend, David (11 March 2018). "'Not a celebration': Carole Pope on why she'll play the #LoveWins concert". Canada's National Observer. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ Chatting with Carole Pope., retrieved 14 January 2020
- ^ Média, Bell. "Carole Pope Seeking Donations From Fans". iheartradio.ca. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
External links
- Carole Pope
- Carole Pope at IMDb