Sunday, August 23, 2009

Out Spotlight XCIV

Today's Out Spotlight is musician Dee Palmer

Most of the world know Dee as "DP" the dapper dressed, "Sherlock Holmes" style pipe smoking member of rock group Jethro Tull. Dee was born David Palmer was born on July 2, 1937, in London.

Growing up Palmer did what every young man did at the time, joined the army. She learned to play clarinet during a stint in the Royal Horse Guards cavalry regiment to which she was sent. There, she studied at Kneller Hall, the Royal Military School of Music and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, majoring in composition and winning the Eric Coates Prize.

Starting out her career as a jobbing arranger and conductor of recording sessions, Palmer recorded her first album project, Nicola, in 1967 with Bert Jansch. She was then referred to Terry Ellis, then manager of the early Jethro Tull, which was making its first album at Sound Techniques Studio in Chelsea, London.

At extremely short notice, she came up with arrangements for the horns and strings on the Mick Abraham's composition, "Move on Alone" for Jethro Tull's "This Was" album. This speed of work and professional performance endeared her at once to the band and was soon to visiting the group again in the studio with the brilliant string quartet arrangement to "A Christmas Song".

Palmer would end up officially joining Jethro Tull as keyboardist in 1976, after arranging string, brass, and woodwind parts for the band from the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1980, leader of Jethro Tull Ian Anderson intended to release a record with other musicians as a solo project (under the name 'Ian Anderson') but was persuaded by his record label to release it instead under 'Jethro Tull' name. Doing so resulted in every member of the group, including Palmer, leaving, except guitarist Martin Barre and Anderson himself. Dee formed a new group, Tallis, with another former Jethro Tull pianist and organist John Evan. The new group was not commercially successful, and Palmer returned to film scoring and session work. And during that time, Palmer produced several albums of orchestral arrangements of the music of his former band Jethro Tull, as well Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, the Beatles and Queen.

It was until after turn of the new century, that something changed in Palmer's personal life. After 60's years of living with the secret of feeling a female in a male body. Dur she was . Palmer came to terms with his transgender feelings. Dee had been married to a woman and had not transitioned for practical reasons. When Palmer's wife died, she came to terms with being a transsexual woman and started her transition. In 2003, Palmer's first name was changed to Dee and early in 2004, she announced having undergone sex reassignment surgery as well as having completed a full gender transition to become a woman.


Ian Anderson was one of the people from Jethro Tull to fully accept her, saying "I have known for the past two years of David Palmer’s intention to undergo gender-changing procedures and, like many other people who have known David for three decades as a bearded, pipe-smoking man’s man, I found it difficult to understand at first. But I fully support his decision to undertake a new life as a woman. To the many fans of Jethro Tull, I can only offer that they should accept Dee Palmer for her new persona and hope that they enjoy her musical activities in the future".

57 comments:

Music Luvah said...

Wow, great OutSpotlight again, as always. I loved Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson, Bouree is a favorite of mine. I didn't know about Dee Palmer. I'll look forward to reading this more thoroughly when I get home.

SiennaB!, ITA with your post from the previous thread, and cute post about Hurricane Bill from the previous thread as well. :)

See ya,

prairiegirl said...

Very interesting spotlight. Dee Palmer waited a really long time to change, though. Wasn't Jethro Tull the ones singing "Bungle in the Jungle"??

Music Luvah, glad to hear you are doing alright. LOL on the comment about changing Bill's name. Never thought about that. How terrible that people have lost their lives in this storm, due to the riptides this guy on the Weather Channel said. I will have to look up what those are, but I wonder if they're not oceantides that maybe sweep people out to sea? Maybe people were out in the ocean, not realizing how strong the tides were?

I don't know how people deal with these hurricanes. Like I was telling someone yesterday, at least with a tornado, you can go down into your basement. With a hurricane, there's nowhere to go but to abandon ship. You have no choice but to outrun the storm.

Sorry to hear about your muggy weather, Destiny. That's a real drag when it doesn't let you get the walking in. I know how that is. You know it's muggy when you step back inside from outdoors and your apt or home and your glasses steam up. LOLLL!

destiny said...

Another one I've never heard about Special. It is interesting that he took the plunge so late in life.

PG, my glasses have been steaming up in the morning when I get off the bus, so yes, it has been bad here. Not as hot as some summers, but no breaks from the heat and humidity either.

Good post Sienna. I never thought to equate the example of someone who is married to a gay actor. If people can't accept gay matinee idols, supposedly because they don't have a chance with them, then how do you explain married idols? Not to mention a straight female fan has as much chance of sleeping with a straight actor as a gay one.

I think a lot of it comes down to homophobic men, gay and straight.

destiny said...

This Grizzly Bear video, created by a fan, is kind of cool.

Gay Animated Love Story

geo 1 up said...

at least with a tornado, you can go down into your basement. With a hurricane ~ You have no choice but to outrun the storm.

Complain, complain....with hurricanes and tornadoes you know they're coming sometimes days in advance. Try getting hit with a without-any-warning 7.0 earthquake at 4am !!

prairiegirl said...

Oh yeah, you got me there, geo 1 up. That would be terrifying, yeah.

prairiegirl said...

LOLLLLL! What an idiot!! Today's song is "Bungle in the Jungle"!!

Oh man. snicker!. That's got to be about the stupidest thing I've said on here yet. LOLLLLLLL! I could fall out of my chair laughing. I'm sorry. I always have my volume turned down so I didn't hear it.

I was getting ready to close my browser window when I saw that was today's song. Why didn't somebody correct me yet?!!! LOLLL!!

gee, glad I don't work with you guys and would go around with spinach in my teeth, nobody would tell me!! snicker!! Oh boy, I can't get over this one. This one is killin' me.

I got to go on that note. Bungle in the Jungle. Wow, I'll never forget that song now.

You guys have a great day. Oh!----and thanks.

lollll!!

Special K said...

I've been threw tornadoes and hurricanes, but I would be totally freaking out about an earthquake. We had a small tremor one early morning up here in New England and I freaked. I didn't know what it was. I can't imagine a sizable earthquake.

What's is Jake doing? Getting ready for the upcoming movies, cause it sounds like he might be stacking them up on his work schedule. I think he does prepare quite a bit for them. And think he's gots some little tiles to take care of.

Special K said...

OOPS!!!! threw should be through

m said...

Interesting out spotlight, as usual. It takes a lot of courage to make such a big change so late in life.

Yeah, what is Jake up to. I think this is the longest we have seen him MIA. Then again Austin is working, and when one of them is working, someone has to take care of the kids.

PG, I often wake up in the late night and do my housework, surf etc. If I cant sleep, I make use of the time. I am a little annoyed at where Tainted Evidence left us at the end of Chapter 42. I don't want to spoil it for any others reading that story but she better post the next chapter pronto, not 6 mos from now. That is partly why I woke up in the middle of the night. Worried about Jack. Who cares if he is not real, I care about the fate of the character who I've grown to love.

Special K said...

Looks like Jake is getting out a little and maybe doing some business at the Polo Lounge which is kind of the place to meet for meetings. But was it with Beatty or just Beatty someone else at the Lounge?

Almost forgot to tweet! Met Warren Beatty and Jake Gyllenhaal at the Beverly Hills Polo Lounge yesterday:)

Twitter


And today in Venice.

I just asked Jake Gyllenhaal how to spell his last name so i could tweet about it. Eventful day so far...
Twitter

Take it or leave it as always with tweets.

Thick As A Brick said...

^^ :) That's a textbook HW meeting place, isnt' it? I wonder what they were discussing.

I was just looking again at yesterday's pic of Austin in the winged tee shirt, I just love it.

Pretty day at the beach today, surf was normal, calm as I've ever seen it.

LOL and *Kisses* said...

Hallmark Cards

Hallmark Congrats Card to Jaustin on Baby Tile said...


Congratulations on your new bundle of joy.

Did you ever find out who the father was?

Hallmark Card To Reese from Jake said...


Congratulations on your new image.
Before you go…

Would you like to take this knife out of my back?
You’ll probably need it again.

SiennaB! said...

very interesting post. i can't imagine wanting to change my sex. getting a weird haircut is traumatic enough. in many ways, i don't really like being a woman. i don't like the inherent emotional weaknesses, i don't like all the 'female' stuff, i never had the slightest urge to have kids and i feel like a lumberjack around all the pg women at work. but i love jewelry and piddling around my house and cooking. i'm one of the many woman i know who feels like would've made a great gay guy, but honestly, would we really want to put ourselves into that life? that's got to be so hard. i think the thing that sets being gay apart from being some other "alternate persona" is that being gay is focused on sex. if you are gay, you like WEIRD sex, as far as society is concerned.

if you are a tree hugger or a vegeterian or a bible thumper or wtfe, folks can process it and go on. but if you are gay, that means you like weird sex, and usa society has yet to figure out a way to deal with sex outside of the missionary position between a man and a woman. that's not to say folks are doing every kind of kinky thing in their bedroom, but if you were to read Glamour mag's most recent sex tips, they are going to be g-rated and super vanilla. the culture in the united states is so puritan when it comes to sex it's pathetic.

so to be gay and out in this day and age is basically the same as if you went up to all your friends and said, "i like for my partner to tie me up and spank me till my ass is fire-engine red, then stick a butt plug up my a-hole and fuck me silly."

who wants to do that?

Aqualung said...

LOL about the card from Jake to Reese. :)

Sorry, today's post is making me think of all of my favorite JT songs, which I haven't heard in a looooooong time.

locomotive breath said...

I don't know, I just think it's all focused on reproduction, and that's why gay sex isn't held in the same esteem as straight sex, and that is so terribly wrong, because in my view, both are beautiful expressions of love between two people, and it's really nobody's business how two people like to make love. Lots of straight couples decide not to have children as well, so we really do need to get out of the dark ages as far as sexuality is concerned (some couples like the "dark ages" tho). BTW, I love the missionary position (among others), it's very loving and satisfying and is getting a bad rap lately! ;)

distortrait said...

Jake & Austin out on the town

Living In The Past said...

This is such an interesting post today, what a great musician Dee Palmer is. The arrangements in some of these JT songs are fantastic. Listening to them back then, even with unusual titles, creepy characters and almost Dickensian depictions of London, the instrumental parts of the songs are just amazing, like improvisational jazz. I loved the progressive rock period. Thanks again for another great OutSpotlight, OMG, and best wishes to Dee Palmer, I hope she continues to make great music. :)

bbm fan said...

Happy Birthday Annie Proulx.

Special K said...

Looks like Jake was with Atti in Venice today.

Laura Saltman from Access Hollywood tweeted on her twitter account, ironically called Dish of Salt :

Good celeb sighting today. Jake Gyllenhaal having brunch in Venice while his german shepard waited patiently on the sidewalk. good doggie!

Twitter

Sweet said...

Awwww . . . so sweet! :)

Ennis and Jack said...

Happy Birthday, Annie! :*

poor Atti said...

waited patiently

What else can he do, bite everyone?!

Special K said...

Atti what a good boy! Sending you a big organic Scooby Snack.

I had read about Dee Palmer a while back and thought it was interesting to that he waited until after his wife's passing before transitioning. For some reason it makes me feel that their relationship was deeply devoted, and I think that maybe she did know of her husband's conflict, and understood, because I can't imagine keep that from someone you are so intimately close to for such a long time. Maybe he didn't want to change what he had with his wife and was afraid that transitioning could.

destiny said...

Sienna, I thought I'd stumbled across a slash site. ;)

I think you're right about the puritanical streak in America, and I do think some people can only think about what to them is the "kinky" sex gay people are having--especially men. There is a I think a strong fear of the back door in America, though I've read that is another thing young people feel differently about compared to past generations, and we all know they are more positive on gay rights, so you have to wonder if there isn't some correlation.

I think the correlation is that if people fell free to be themselves, and not be roped in by some of those other conventions, that they are more accepting of other's rights to live their lives the way they want. Like expectations of what women should be like-- boy I hear you on that one on many levels, particularly on having never wanted children and now of course so many gay couples are having them. Or rejecting plain vanilla sex as the only option, etc. the to them kinky sex gay people are having.

So much of hate is driven by fear, fear that you will become that "other" and not be accepted.

LOL said...

For Special, 7 pages of baseball chatter. You aren't the only crazy dedicated Red Sox fan. This how dedicated I am to my Red Sox. I'm sitting on a hardwood floor in a hot ass room listening to a fuzzy radio so I can listen to the game because my grandma refuses to let me watch it on tv.

destiny said...

I guess if Dee's wife hadn't died first he would have never changed. I know people make all kinds of sacrifices for relations

hips, but that seems like a pretty big one.

I don't think people should give up who they are, or who they become, just to keep a relationship together. I wonder how happy he really was before the change, if he always felt like a woman. And if he was unhappy, then chances are good his wife felt like something was wrong or missing. Lots of interesting things to ponder with this post Special.

Special K said...

Love it LOL, I needed it after the Sox dropped two out of the three against the Yankees. 7.5 games out of first. UGH! But have a game and half over Texas for the Wildcard at the moment.

My favorite fanatical moment I've done was during a playoff run at a Council meeting at church, as we sat around a radio and conducted business between the at bats and at the top and bottom of the innings. Do we have a second?...pause..."Its a short fly out to right"....Second....All in favor say aye quick.

Dee's surgery question said...

hips, but that seems like a pretty big one.

He had his hips reshaped?

LOL said...

Special i like that site. Its mostly females in their 20s and when they start talking about baseball they really get into it, but not too much that it intimidating. Glad you enjoyed it.

Special K said...

I wonder if Dee was able to be Dee in his relationship with his wife, and because of that he felt he didn't need to take to the next step while with her.

I agree that there is a lot of fear and supposition about gay relationships and sex. I think of what my gay guy friends say how surprised people are when they find out that there are some gay couples in LTR who do not have as their straight friends say "real sex", ie, intercourse. Because that is what most straight people define sex is. Kind of like how teenagers don't think oral sex is sex, only intercourse is. But when talking to gay men there are variety of definitions of sex for them, intercourse is just one.

latitudes said...

With straight couples people accept that there's a lot of different sex acts to do but that the man won't do this or the woman doesn't like doing that, or they really love doing whatever together. There's just a lot of latitude and acceptance given to their preferences and for the most part no one judges.

However with a gay male couple people assume they do EVERYTHING, try every type of gay sexual act and the nastier and grosser the better, LOL. Maybe the assumption started with the 1970/1980's wild parties, the bathhouses or maybe it just goes with "boys are like snails and puppy dog tails" and how (straight or gay) they tinker with stuff, sexual or not. Anyway there's not much personal preference given to gay couples when people think of what thier sex life is like. People don't realize that some men won't do this and some men don't do that, and that just because a man is gay doesn't mean he's a sex-crazed slut.

Special K said...

The Obamas have landed on the Vineyard for the week long vacation.
And the Boston Globe gave them some tips for the week. I like number 17.

17. Ask Spike Lee why he hates all Boston sports teams yet vacations on the Vineyard.

Tios for the Vineyard

The rumors are that Oprah and Beyonce and Jay-Z may be seen on island this week.

Did you know that first lady of France Carla Brunei and Gordon Brown Britian's Prime Minister o have been on the island this summer. And it was like no one knew they were there for a week or few. Funny how one person can come on island for less than 48 hours and get such coverage?

Dee's surgery question, answered!! said...

Sorry I just saw destiny's word "relationships" got cut off. I read the 1st paragraph as "sacrifices for relations." And then the next paragraph was something about "hips, but that seems like a pretty big one." I even looked for a commenter named "hips" that maybe she was answering LOL but when I didn't find one I figured she was talking about Dee's surgery, getting the hip bones reshaped!!

all talk said...

Funny how one person can come on island for less than 48 hours and get such coverage?

Whut? IMO the bitch wasn't even there!

Special K said...

Funny isn'thow those on the island don't want the press about being there, but who may not have even been there does? One of to put in the big book of Hollywood PR.

Special K said...

SEEN & HEARD: "A Steady Rain" co-stars Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig (sporting a handlebar mustache) checking out Colin Hay's set at the Hiro Ballroom on Saturday night (see Monday's NOW cover story for more dish about this upcoming B'way spectacle) . . . Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols kissing at Georgica in East Hampton over the weekend.

NY Daily News

So is this peach fuzz or 5 o'clock shadow?

prairiegirl said...

Exactly, Special. And I'm like all talk. I am not convinced that she was even there. The pick up game was a tweet and no picture of her at the race. There was a convo on WFT2 about how she wouldn't let Jake bring the kids over by himself and someone else said that was what the nanny was for. So I'm kind of leaning towards an opinion over there that a nanny probably brought the kids over and Jake, who was already there, met up with them. That seems the most likely of all scenarios.

Just like the wedding ceremony. No picture of Reese, I say she wasn't at MV either. If she's at a function where there's a great opportunity to get an extra gold star, you better believe she's going to be seen.

And yeah, excellent point about how people love the privacy of MV. And yet so much ballyhoo over a few race pics (admittedly some of which by the likes of myself and others here, lol) to the point where a mention has to be made by the race sponsors, with comments about apologies to be made to Jake, blah, blah, blah....Man. The mileage that was gotten out of one little annual community race.

What a lovely little stamp Reeke put on that race. I wouldn't be surprised if MV itself wasn't a big fan of hers. And who knows, maybe not thrilled with JG over that little deal either.

Well, it's Monday and I am feeling it!! Feeling it big time, can you tell? lol.

Need some laughs from our new co worker. He's funny & makes me laugh. So at least I know there'll be some entertainment.

oops! said...

Sophia Bush was trying to hail a cab yesterday when she "accidentally flung" her arm into a woman passing by on a bicycle, knocking the woman to the ground. Sophia apologized and helped the woman up; the woman rode away. [UPI]

Ted said...

Dear Awful Truth:
It's been a while since you gave us an update on Grey Goose. What is the chance of having a new blind item about him? He is intriguing.
—Joanna

Dear Mystery Man:
He's wised up since last we checked in on him.

AT

Ted said...

Dear Awful Truth:
Is there something going on (romantically) between Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard (as weird as that question seems, especially when I type it out). Thank you kindly!
—Kansas Girl

Dear Gross:
Jake and his brother-in-law? Jake's a lot of things, but incestuous he is not.

prairiegirl said...

oh oh, wised up as in how?????

Given Jakey the ol' heave-ho?

prairiegirl said...

MYSTERY MAN as in someone new in Austin's life????

:) said...

Mystery Man = Grey Goose

prairiegirl said...

That's where we've heard that, smiley.

So what does "Wised Up" mean?

I take it literally. But then since when does that guy talk literally? Gotta ask him a yes or a no question.

all I can think of is wise owl, lol.

I'm terrible @ tedspeak

prairiegirl said...

I'm taking it literally. Ted has been saying that GG needs to leave TT.

So is this Ted's way of timing an announcement that TT & GG are no more?

:) said...

He's wised up since last we checked in on him.

Why would it be wise to dump Jake?

prairiegirl said...

Ted has commented several times that GG should head out for greener pastures, that he's waiting for something that's not going to happen, meaning Jake's not going to live the "sweet life" with him anytime soon.

And let's face it, Austin has put up with alot of excess bearding activity.

prairiegirl said...

Or maybe he's talking career wise? As in going to TV instead of movies?

lol, can you tell I've got typing opportunities here this morning?

m said...

Hmm, first clue from Ted that they may have broken up, though isn't Ted on vacation and his interns writing this week? Still, Austin has been looking awfully good lately. Like a weight is off his shoulders. We'll have to see if any more clues surface. Jake is a fool if he lost Austin.

prairiegirl said...

m, I wish they would've asked a yes/no question. Have GG & TT broken up? That's how you have to put it to him.

Special K said...

Finishing the new post but had to jump in on this one.

Man of Mystery is Austin Powers. So what does that mean in connection to Austin. Has he taking charge?

I think Ted is play all the angles on this one.

I think he wants to play it like GG has moved on, but I don't think he has. I think Ted might mean that GG is stepping up and taking more control of the matters at hand between them.

Then I wonder if he wised up to the tiny Shafterella and what she is doing, and he is having them have none of that anymore.

And the other thought that cross my mind, though that Ted is using it as wised up about playing the HW game and decided what's good for Tooth is good for Gander and that's what we are seeing with the NYC trips and the gossip about kissing on the Hamptons.

Back to finishing the post.

Loose lips sink BVs said...

IMO Ted means with "wised up" that Grey Goose isn't blabbing so much like he used to, so there's not much new info.

prairiegirl said...

I hope you're right, Special. I've been feeling sad here at work.

Special K said...

Another take on it Loose Lips.

It goes to show how many ways Ted can be read. And that is why I want to see what else Ted's says.