Like Cherry Vanilla and The Heartbreakers Wayne County straddled the
US/UK punk scenes. A player at legendary haunts Maxes and CBGB's and
peer of bands like Patti Smith, Blondie, New York Dolls and The
Dictators and Ramones this exhibitionist transvestite
with a penchant for large Dusty Springfield wig was already a
veteran of the US scene this had already done the rounds for
some 10 years to little
success with his controversial graphic scatological act with an array of
props and costumes.
Born in Alice,
Georgia in the deep south his name was a state in Michigan - Wayne
County as a tribute to the MC5. From women's impersonations he went
into Dj'ing, then acting in some very alternative plays like Birth
Of A Nation and Pork. While playing at The Roundhouse in London he
met Bowie and like Cherry was signed to Bowie's company Mainman.
Allegedly an album was to be made that never happened and $240k they
spent filming Wayne Wayne At The Trucks which was a parody of New
York's S&M clubs.
"My early sets
were more or less a freak show with rock music behind it."
Wayne County
- Ripped & Torn 6 1977
His
first band Queen Elizabeth (with Jerry Nolan on drums) recorded an album
in 1971 that was shelved. With Queen Elisabeth he faked crapping into a
dog bowl and used a dildo that squirted milk. At the same time he became
involved with staging and appearing in leftfield theatrical productions like the scatological centred Pork (with Cherry Vanilla) about Warhol
superstar Bridget Polk and Femme Fatale with Patti Smith.
Being DJ at Max's and having his manager run the club obviously
helped Wayne and his backing band The Backstreet Boys get 3 tracks on the
compilation with again Cherry Vanilla among others.
Tired of attracting just a cult following Wayne checked out the UK Punk
scene in 1976. Like Cherry Vanilla a group was cobbled together for a
debut at The Roxy. When favourable reviews followed The Electric Chairs
became permanent.
Above - Vortex ad
Right - Roxy ad
Having played to
rednecks as a cross dresser, worked smaller clubs for years and hospitalised ex wrestler Dick Manitoba from the
Dictators with a mike stand after being heckled, the London punk
scene held no qualms for Wayne. But then again he needn't have
worried. His outrageous, stage act and lyrics coincided perfectly
with the nascent punk scene and swapping Max's and CBGB's for The Roxy Club
and Vortex was
no big deal. Along with the Heartbreakers and to a lesser extent
Cherry Vanilla
Wayne County & The Electric Chairs were the Americans in residence
bringing fun, energetic stage shows and history with them.
Signing with Safari, Wayne County & The Electric Chairs released 3 albums
and a slew of singles with little mainstream success. Another
problem for Wayne was that yes the more obscene songs got the publicity but when
he tried to turn more serious no one would touch him with a bargepole.
Couple with that the world was not really ready for a transvestite singer
then hit singles weren't really
on the cards! In fact in July 1979 not long after the release of their
third LP it was reported in the music press that he was
fired as he had spent more time on beginning a sex change operation than
being with the band.
Image - Andrew Douglas
"I see myself as a
seductive older woman, like an expensive uptown whore rather than a
downtown low-class slut." Sounds 2.6.79
In an
open
letter to Sounds July 1979 Wayne complained "Safari records told me that they would pay
for the my entire sex change operation. Then only half way held up to the
promise. They would not give me rest of the money to finish my operation
until I got commercial enough to sell more records...I have been stabbed
in the back with no regards to my feelings or artistic opinions."
Wayne
throughout his career has been a mixture of confusing possibilities.
Man or woman but never wanting to be completely one or the other.
Taking hormones but pulling out from the final chop as it were Wayne
slowly became more of a woman so much so that in the gossip column
of Sounds (16.9.78)
Jock McDonald (Vortex club DJ) was reported as trying to pull her at Dingwalls as he described her a
the prettiest girl in the place.
Wayne
throughout his life has made many claims - from Bowie ripping
him off to being an originator of glam before The New York Dolls and
being a punk before punk existed. All these things are
true to varying degrees but Wayne lacked that extra bit of oomph or
the breaks
that turns these traits into legendary possibilities which of
course is what artists like Bowie, the Dolls and Pistols
incorporated and did. Or perhaps Wayne was just too leftfield.
Singer or
vaudeville act? Its a testament to Wayne and The Electric Chairs
that a lot of the music he made still stands up to day as quality
punk rock.
"I just
wanna have a rock'n' roll band really"
Wayne County
- Ripped & Torn 6 1977
