Under The Hood with Candye Kane

Candye Kane is a remarkable woman. She is perhaps best known as
someone with a ‘past’ that has forged a very successful career in music,
but in this writer’s opinion; she is defined by much, much more than this.
She is a loving, and dare I say doting, mother brimming with pride about
her sons. She is a cancer survivor, a prolific writer, and an engaged
supporter for a number of important social issues.
In the early days she was a country/hillbilly/punkabilly singer in a band
that was the mainstay at North Hollywood’s Palomino Club. Even back
then, Candye was larger than life “I had purple hair and wore fishnets and
combat boots before it was in fashion.” It wasn’t long before she made
her mark and was signed up by Larry Hanby at CBS/Epic, on the basis
of a glowing review in the LA Times that described her as “LA’s female
answer to Dwight Yoakum.” However, this proved to be a sobering and
short lived experience as the country music establishment asserted
its will and prejudice. She said “It wasn’t just CBS/Epic, but the whole
country music establishment that was/is hypocritical, sexist and sizist.” I
was curious to get her opinion on today’s music business and though a
lot has changed, it’s clear that she thinks little of it is for the better “This
is an even weirder business now with what I call the Mcdonald-ization
of the world. Shows like American Idol have done nothing to help music
and have only clouded the airwaves with more crap. The internet, though
it has opened the door to global networking, has also diluted the market
with mediocrity since anyone can record in the privacy of their own home.
In the old days, even with payola, you still had a chance that you could
charm some radio DJ into playing your records. In my opinion, the record
industry has lost some of what little integrity they had and promote only
commercial products with no attention paid to originality.”
The music business is but one example of the many levels of prejudice
she has faced - and confronted throughout her life. You only have to
look at her blog and website to see that she maintains a strong voice on
many issues that are still considered taboo today. But is the world a more
tolerant place today? “Fifteen years ago, I don’t remember ever hearing
about Muslims – now Muslims and middle Easterners are a fair target
for oppression. Gay people are still marginalized in our world as are fat
people and super dark skinned people, so I don’t think we have seen the
end of bigotry.”
As if facing prejudice and bigotry for most of her life wasn’t enough,
Candye was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer last year. This would have
been a big enough blow to finish most people off but Candye fought back
and over the course of the treatment published very candid accounts of
the journey on her blog. Adversity is a great test of a person’s friendship
and on this level; Candye is platinum “Cancer is the exclusive club that
no one wants to belong to. I have had people share incredible stories of
survival and heartbreak. I am still answering more than 1000 emails and
letters that I received while I was in the hospital. The outpouring of love
and support I received from people all around the world was incredible.
I believe the collective energy of people worldwide helped to heal me.
That, a great surgeon, some really good luck, and determination have
made all the difference.”
Candye recently penned a memoir called The Toughest Girl Alive
which has been adapted for the stage by none the head of the San
Diego ballet, Javier Velasco. She describes the work as “… at times dark,
funny and shocking as it chronicles my dysfunctional childhood, journeys
thru teenage motherhood, adult entertainment, drug abuse and abusive
relationships, and music, music, music. It is an uplifting story of triumph
and survival.” Plans are to take the production around the world.
Right or wrong, no interview with Candye would be complete, without
discussing her past as a sex worker. “Well, thanks for saving this question
for almost last. Usually it is the first question or comment out of someone’s
mouth, especially when they are male.” Just for the record, Candye is 47
and as a teenager was in the sex business for only 4 years as way to
survive and support a child. Yet, even today, those are the years some
people still choose to define
her by “It’s the ignorance
and the fear that is most
frustrating. I lost a show in
Coos Bay on Thanksgiving
weekend because a club
owner decided I was too
vulgar for the venue! Also I
recently did a radio show for
a prominent blues DJ and
the first question was ‘tell us
how you went from porn star
to blues singer.’” I floated
the question of whether
therefore this was a painful
chapter in her life “No, the sex business was not a painful chapter in my
life. It emancipated me from welfare and gave me the first real money
I ever had which funded my first studio sessions. It gave me my first
airplane ride, my first time to drive a Mercedes convertible, and my first
trips to Hawaii, Canada, New York, and San Francisco. What is painful is
how people hold it against me. The way that some people are obsessed
with a narrow, abnormal focus on the titillating aspects of my life, as if the
other parts of me don’t matter, is what is painful.”
Candye has a busy schedule this year. She will be making a new album
on Delta Groove to follow on from her highly acclaimed 2007 release,
Guitar’d and Feathered, that featured a diverse who’s who of guitarists
stretching from Popa Chubby to Bob Brozman. The new album will
showcase the incredible talents of guitarist, Laura Chavez, who is wowing
crowds at every show. On this note, touring the world is on the docket and
will also include some joint shows with her new daughter-in-law, British
Blues singer, Dani Wilde. She is also a passionate supporter of a charity
that supports special needs kids in the Netherlands called Unitedbymusic.
nl, she lights up when she talks about it. “We use blues music to teach
people with disabilities how to transcend their daily challenges with song. I
teach them some songwriting tricks and they gain confidence and flexibility
by appearing on stage with a big band. It’s a wonderful experience and
the best project I am involved in.”
Our time is up and so I ask her if she has closing comments “Every day that
I am awake on this planet is a real blessing. I hope to continue to inspire
people to be self aware and positive and to fight to overcome health,
economic and day to day obstacles. I am a fighter and I am grateful for
more time on this planet to perhaps inspire others to fight for their own
lives and their own dreams.” Amen to that.
Top 10:
1. Who is on your CD player now? Bubba Hernandez, Brave Combo, Los
Lobos, and the Hollywood Blue Flames.
2. What you like most about Seattle? I love the water so any city
surrounded by it is lovely.
3. What you like least about Seattle? I don’t like the rain and the cold.
4. The most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? There are far too
many embarrassing moments to recall here.
5. If you could bring someone back to life, who would it be? Victoria
Woodhull. She ran for president on a ticket with former slave Frederick
Douglass before women had the right to vote. She was the first female
stockbroker on Wall Street and she believed in women’s rights to own
property and be orgasmic. She is my idol.
6. Proudest accomplishment? My two sons are amazing people who are
tolerant, polite, kind and very musically talented. They are my proudest
achievement.
7. Biggest regret? I would like to have not appeared in some of the porn
movies I did. I am not ashamed of my past but the world could have lived
without the cultural contributions of “let me tell ya bout fat chicks.”
8. Advice to someone starting out in the blues business? Learn everything
you can about booking, management, songwriting, manufacturing, and
the record business. Read the book Hit Men. Have a backup plan for how
to make money when the going gets slim.
9. The song you are most proud of writing? The “Toughest Girl Alive.” This
song has saved lives.
10. If you could go back in time, what would you change? I would not do
hard core pornography.

Author: Son Jack Jr.

Republished with Permision Washington Blues Society

Tags: Candye Kane, Son Jack Jr, Washington Blues Society