HOLLY JOHNSON
The Relax hitmaker was unapologetically open about his sexuality during the conservative 80s. After a sold-out solo tour last year, Attitude honours a man who helped pave the way when other pop stars remained deeply closeted…
WORDS: PAUL FLYNN
Attitude Award Winner
ICON AWARD
PHOTOGRAPHY: TREVOR LEIGHTON
SUPPORTED BY SKY
When Holly Johnson began the preparations and rehearsals for his first solo tour in 2014, an astonishing 25 years since his first solo record Blast, he decided to perform at least one track from each of the six albums of his authorship that comprise his brilliant back catalogue. The selections from the two Frankie Goes to Hollywood albums that sent Holly to an unparalleled level of global ubiquity for an out gay man in the mid-80s were easy to cherry pick. There is perhaps no stronger three-song finale to rival his incendiary pummel through sex (Relax), war (Two Tribes) and a particularly devastating romantic optimism (The Power of Love) in the entire pop cannon. To the shift in British gay acceptance, these songs are deeply symbolic. Each night, they brought the house down.
Over Saturday lunch at Soho, he considers the 18 months that have passed since re-entering the pop fray with his splendid album, Europa. “There must be something very resilient about me, I’ll say that. Or I’m a glutton for punishment.