Biography
Drag queen and cult-movie star Divine, born Harris Glenn Milstead, secured lasting fame through the wildly provocative cult classic Pink Flamingos, yet gay discos continue to celebrate the performer for a series of playful and theatrical dance tracks. The 1979 single "Born to Be Cheap," issued on Chicago's Wax Trax label, arrived first but proved too thin in production to register widely. Three years later Divine joined forces with producer Bobby Orlando for "Shoot Your Shot," which quickly became a favorite in gay clubs and earned gold certification in Holland. Its successor, "Shake It Up," did not appear on any charts, though 1983 brought the immediate success of "Love Reaction." Bobby Orlando had lifted the bassline and melody directly from New Order's "Blue Monday"; while the producer asserted that the band filed suit, New Order maintained no legal steps were taken and instead honored Divine by sending a roadie onstage in drag to perform "Love Reaction" during one of their concerts. The 1984 release "You Think You're a Man" reached the U.K. Top 20, prompting an appearance by Divine on the long-running television program Top of the Pops. By then the artist had begun collaborating with the hitmaking team Stock, Aitken & Waterman, yet subsequent singles drew steadily reduced notice and radio support. Divine died suddenly in 1989 at age 42 from an enlarged heart, though compilations have kept the recordings in circulation. In 2000 Music Video Distribution paired two concert performances on the DVD Shoot Your Shot/Live at the Hacienda.
Albums
