Browse Items (687 total)

A collection of essays about the Queer history in Toronto. Named after the song "Any Other Way" by Jackie Shane

A documentary about the life of Jackie Shane, and her eventual disappearance from the music industry. This documentary is incredibly important as it shows the impact that Jackie Shane had as Queer person during a time where it was dangerous to do so.

This newspaper article covers a music and drag venue called the Blue Orchid. The Blue Orchid featured “female impersonators”, as well as musical performers. This article is covering a drag act called the Jewel Box Revue, an early occurrence of Drag…

Gwen Hooks was part of the restoration of the Keystone Cemetery. She dedicated a significant part of her life to her heritage. She did not want the legacy that Black settlers left in Keystone to be forgotten, so she made sure that where they were…

This is a CHUM chart from April 1964. This record chart brochure shows the most popular songs in Canada from this time, and features Shirley Matthews with the eighteenth most popular song, "Private Property." This single was the last one of hers to…

This is an image of a music chart, specifically a CHUM Chart This record chart brochure shows the most popular songs in Canada from this time, and features Shirley Matthews with the fourth most popular song, "Big Town Boy." The CHUM Charts were an…

This is a CHUM chart from April Fool's Day, 1963. This record chart brochure shows the most popular songs in Canada from this time, and features Jackie Shane with the second most popular song, "Any Other Way." This is monumental as an openly Queer…

Club Bluenote was a popular music venue that had opened up in the late 1950s and gained popularity during the 1960s, where performers such as Dianne Brooks and Shirley Matthews would often frequent and perform at. Kay Taylor and the Regents were the…

The album cover for the album "Back Stairs of My Life" by Dianne Brooks. This album was her most widely received album, and was one of her last releases as a solo artist before becoming a backup singer for artists such as Dusty Springfield and Anne…

This is a clip of RPM Magazine featuring the top songs playing in major cities across Canada, and featured Dianne Brooks playing in two different cities. When a song was not popular enough to be in the national top 100 list but still was popular…