Say, would you like to see something outrageous and fun? This video came up by way of YouTube suggestion based on videos I watched, the America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, Obscure European Nation's Got Talent. The auditions get compiled into "most outrageous," "auditions that made the judges cry," "funniest auditions," "most amazing auditions" and all that sort of thing. John Quale's original audition blew everyone's mind, judges and audience did not know what to make of it. There was no basis to process what they were seeing.
Don't you hate it when you have to explain yourself?
People were put off at first. Except one judge, Sharon Osbourne. She latched onto this John Quale right away. She got it. Immediately. She dug his schtick right away and played along. Here is Quale's first audition. Recommended, it's very good. I find the video by searching [Prince Poppycock]
It's one of his best. He introduces himself as prince of a fantastic realm. By the end of his act the audience was onboard and the judges realized they just saw something very different.
He became a favorite that year and advanced to the semi-finals. Here he performs a re-written portion of Freddy Mercury's Bohemian Rhapsody. It is a very different take and one of my favorite videos from the entire "____'s Got Talent" collection of videos.
John went onto the Finals but was buzzed out by Piers Morgan for the terrible crime committed by previous performers of taking himself too seriously. "And the whole point of Prince Poppycock is that you're great fun. You're a great showman. You make me smile. And you didn't make me smile tonight!"
What a bummer!
He did too, from what I can see. Piers Morgan is right. A more down-to-earth singer prevailed. And the thing about that is part of the prize is a Las Vegas show. The Poppycock persona is more appropriate for Las Vegas than the regular singer who is also excellent. But think of what people pay to see in Las Vegas. Poppycock fits that more than the standard non-outrageous singer.
But that wasn't the last of him on America's Got Talent. It's not the final-final. The best of the performers are gathered again and that time John Quale performed with Donna Summer singing Last Dance. In the preview bit that shows preparation for the show Donna Summer drops in on John Quale surprising him, she is one his inspirations, and says to him, "Don't you dare upstage me."
He's gone on to do a lot of other things since. I think I've seen all of the videos on YouTube and they're not all this good, not all high production. The rest come off as drag shows. They are drag shows. The drag queens admire him, they're pleased to be part of his act. The only difference between him and they is that John dresses as outrageous male and he actually sings. I must admit however insane, whatever his approach and whatever my own preferences, he is genuine talent.
Wikipedia [John Quale]
6 comments:
"Nothing really matters but me."
Wow, the perfect expression of the reigning sentiment of our age -- narcissism.
What do you do with that? Is he in Vegas? Performing on a cruise ship?
April, I haven't a clue.
The YouTube videos peter out to small venues like nightclubs. There seem to be a gaggle of drag queens around, so maybe that's it. His web page, press kit, doesn't have any current appearances. Pollstar doesn't have anything current. Maybe he's gone. I don't know.
Tedious.
Speaking of gone, did Ed join Bissage in the land of wind and ghosts?
He was used by the elite entertainment industry for his 15 minutes of weird.
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