David Leddick interviewed by Nigel Kelly
David Leddick has crammed so much into one lifetime, naval officer, novalist, biographer, dancer, singer, television director, world wide creative director for Revlon at Grey Advertising and cabaret entertainer.
He has homes in Miami Beach, Paris, and Montevideo.
David played Quentin Crisp in his own one man show "Quentin & I: The New Mini Musical", with lyrics by David Leddick and music by Andrew Sargent, which debuted in April 2005 in Miami Beech and at The Club at La MaMa ETC in New York on 6th and 7th of March 2006.
This is a full length in-depth interview, so I have divided it into Question and Answer sections with links to each one.
Or of course you can just read down through it all in full if you wish.
Q. When did you first become aware of Quentin Crisp?
Q. You said that you first met him by going to one of his shows. Were you hoping to met him or was it an impulse?
Q. As you got to know Quentin was he what you expected?
Q. You mention how there is nothing you admire more in anyone than courage. People who knew Quentin say he was a man of exceptional courage. Would you agree with that?
Q. As I have watched you on dvd I have noticed that you have many similar views to Quentin. Do you feel you and he had things in common which helped your friendship?
Q. You used to take Quentin for lunch when you were in New York, and he visited your home. He must have been the most incredible lunch companion. What is your fondest memory of these times?
Q. Did you ever visit his room and was it as famously dirty as people have said?
Q. You said that Quentin was not really accessible on an intimate level and you felt there was more to him that what appeared in his books and shows. Do you think there were differences between his public and private personas?
Q. Were you surprised when your manager Vincent Colonna suggested you should do a show about Quentin?
Q. What finally decided you to make the show?
Q. In How To Become A virgin Quentin relates how in the late 1970s attempts were made to produce The Naked Civil Servant on broadway as a musical. Quentin was delighted with this and fully supportive but alas it never happened. Were you aware of this when you decided to do your show as a musical?
Q. How did you go about preparing for the show and how much did your personal knowledge of Quentin help?
Q. Do you feel you were able to show the public something new about Quentin?
Q. You have created two dvds for the show - Becoming Quentin and the actual show - Quentin & I. Do you have plans to put the show on again?
Q. Have you seen any of the other stage shows?
Q. Some gay men have been prejudiced against Quentin for being an effeminate gay man and also because of many of his comments, eg. he said that gays are not real people. As you yourself have said he was extremely politically incorrect about many things. Do you take issue with any of Quentin's remarks?
Q. Why do you think the American people took Quentin so much to their hearts?
Q. Are you surprised at the way Quentin's philosophy has affected so many people, gay and straight?
Q. There is still tremendous interest in Quentin. Did you think he would still be such an inspiration ten years after his death?
Q. As a young naval lieutenant you witnessed the testing of the hydrogen bomb at the Bikini Atoll and the awesome destructive power mankind was capable of. Did this experience influence you in your life?
Q. Many people say that military service helps them with achieving other things in their lives (discipline/applying yourself and so on). Have you found this to be true?
Q. After the navy you moved to New York to become a dancer with the Metropolitan Opera. Was dance your first ambition?
Q. In 1994 you left the world of advertising to concentrate on your writing. Looking back from 13 years on would you have done this earlier?
Q. One of your books 'Never Eat In' is under option to be a motion picture. Are there any developments with this?
Q. You come over as being very relaxed on stage and are clearly enjoying yourself. Many performers say that there is nothing to beat a live audience. Would you agree with this?
Q. You have homes in Miami, Paris and Uruguay. Did you pick each location for a specific reason, and how do you divide your time between them?
Q. You used to pick an artist and give them $100 a month and Quentin was a recipient. What prompted you to do this?
Q. You have said that you are not aware of ever having experienced homophobia. In Britain were I live I doubt many gay men could go a week without experiencing some form of predudice. Do you think attitudes in America are better or have you been lucky?
Q. I have met a number of gay men who are married. This is an issue you cover in your book 'The secret lives of married men'. Not many people are willing or brave enough to address this issue. In one of your songs who say how can anybody love you if they don't know who you are. Have you any advice you would give to young gay men?
Q. Dancer, singer, novalist, biographer, actor, caberat performer, TV director, you have clearly always been very artistically gifted. Is there any other area you would still like to try?
Q. You have led such a rich and varied life. Which of all the professions you have entered is the one which has given you most pleasure and self-fulfillment?
Q. Of all the things you have done is there one you would wish to be remembered for?
Q. So what is next on the David Leddick schedule?
Q. And finally every performer expects to be asked - would you ever retire?
Q. When did you first become aware of Quentin Crisp?
I'm sure I read reviews in the New York Times and he sounded interesting.
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Q. You said that you first met him by going to one of his shows. Were you hoping to met him or was it an impulse?
Definitely an impulse. I was Worldwide Creative Director for Revlon at Grey Advertising at the time and I brought my staff to see him as I thought it was important they know about him. I did not speak to him then but got his phone number from information and called him. I was giving a hundred dollars a month to one artist or another at the time to help with their careers and told him I would do that for him.
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Q. As you got to know Quentin was he what you expected?
He was exactly off stage what he was onstage. Witty, composed, friendly but never intimate.
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Q. You mention how there is nothing you admire more in anyone than courage. People who knew Quentin say he was a man of exceptional courage. Would you agree with that?
He was a very brave man and I admire courage more than any other quality. We are all afraid but some people muster their courage and proceed forward anyway.
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Q. As I have watched you on dvd I have noticed that you have many similar views to Quentin. Do you feel you and he had things in common which helped your friendship?
I think we both agreed that it was rather pointless to lead a life that was not your own. We did not agree about homosexuality. He always felt it was a burden. One of my friends told me, "David, some people think homosexuality is a sin, and some people think it is a crime. You seem to think It is a luxury."
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Q. You used to take Quentin for lunch when you were in New York, and he visited your home. He must have been the most incredible lunch companion. What is your fondest memory of these times?
I think Quentin always felt he had to sing for his supper and be entertaining. I'd like to think he felt less so with me and my friends and family. He came to brunch one Sunday with me and my nephews at my home and was laughing when he arrived. He had been waiting for the crosstown bus and a cabdriver stopped and recognizing him said,"Get in Quentin, I'll take you wherever you're going." He had become a recognizable celebrity in New York.
That pleased him a lot.
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Q. Did you ever visit his room and was it as famously dirty as people have said?
I did. The sheets were black, the curtains in tatters, the seat fallen out of the chair in which he watched television. I thought ,"I could spend about 300 dollars and fix this place up a little." And then I thought, "No, he won't even notice it." He was very zen-like and he always emerged impeccable from his room with only a sink. The bathroom was down the hall. He must have lived in the last rooming house in New York.
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Q. You said that Quentin was not really accessible on an intimate level and you felt there was more to him that what appeared in his books and shows. Do you think there were differences between his public and private personas?
There was a private persona who I am sure felt unhappiness and perhaps even despair but it was never on view. I think to no one and he had many friends. I view that as being very English.
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Q. Were you surprised when your manager Vincent Colonna suggested you should do a show about Quentin?
My manager is a madman but a genius at show business. He has amazing insights and I always follow his advice.
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Q. What finally decided you to make the show?
I don't really make decisions or struggle with them. Vincent had a good idea and I can write a show in about two weeks, lyrics and all. And I have a great cabaret partner Andrew Sargent who wrote brilliant songs.
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Q. In How To Become A virgin Quentin relates how in the late 1970s attempts were made to produce The Naked Civil Servant on broadway as a musical. Quentin was delighted with this and fully supportive but alas it never happened. Were you aware of this when you decided to do your show as a musical?
No, I never knew any plans were made for a musical. Quentin never spoke of that.
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Q. How did you go about preparing for the show and how much did your personal knowledge of Quentin help?
The show was entirely sourced in my experiences with him. Certain things were also in his books but he did repeat his stories a lot. The major part of the show is original speeches and ideas he expressed to me and I did not get them from his books. I made a point of that to avoid any legal problems.
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Q. Do you feel you were able to show the public something new about Quentin?
Yes, I think in his discussion about his father particularly and "Stick Around" the song he exposed some of his early life and also expressed more of an intimate attitude than he normally did.
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Q. You have created two dvds for the show - Becoming Quentin and the actual show - Quentin & I. Do you have plans to put the show on again?
Have auditioned it for the cruise lines and theaters have called for it before and I think they probably will again.
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Q. Have you seen any of the other stage shows?
I got the documentary on Quentin and it was great watching him perform. I've never seen any other incarnations.
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Q. Some gay men have been prejudiced against Quentin for being an effeminate gay man and also because of many of his comments, eg. he said that gays are not real people. As you yourself have said he was extremely politically incorrect about many things. Do you take issue with any of Quentin's remarks?
Quentin didn't like being gay and in some ways he considered it a punishment. However very much to his credit he never tried to be closeted. I agree with him completely that being gay is genetic and that in the near future it will be about as important as being Swedish. I think the recent clone look of being more masculine than heterosexual men was a trend that made effeminancy look bad. But Quentin knew, as I do, you are always somebody's type. I myself am not sure what is politically correct as it changes a lot. Certainly nothing that you do because you are ashamed of being gay is good.
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Q. Why do you think the American people took Quentin so much to their hearts?
He was a very dear person. You couldn't help liking him because of his basically sweet nature and he did need looking after. There was something of the precocious child about him. And he was also outspoken, stood up for his and other's rights and was brave. These are all qualities that Americans like to think are theirs.
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Q. Are you surprised at the way Quentin's philosophy has affected so many people, gay and straight?
He was a great example of being true to yourself and others then can observe how it works out. He was a real pioneer. When I was with him I was always amazed at how many strangers came up and spoke to him having seen him or read about him somewhere.
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Q. There is still tremendous interest in Quentin. Did you think he would still be such an inspiration ten years after his death?
There has certainly not been anyone like him since.
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Q. As a young naval lieutenant you witnessed the testing of the hydrogen bomb at the Bikini Atoll and the awesome destructive power mankind was capable of. Did this experience influence you in your life?
Strangely enough they had so many problems getting the bombs go off I never worried about them again. We went to Bikini for six weeks and stayed for four months. I think I have always been aware, like Quentin, that we are on this ball whirling through space and could collide with another planet at any moment. Knowing that you can hardly be bored. And should be prompted to not waste your time. I would hate to be blown into eternity while watching re-runs of "I Love Lucy" on TV.
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Q. Many people say that military service helps them with achieving other things in their lives (discipline/applying yourself and so on). Have you found this to be true?
I was always quite discipline. My father died when my siblings and I were quite young and we were brought up by a working mother, much as children are today. My brother went to the Naval Academy and when someone said, "It must be quite difficult after your home life." He said, "Actually, it's a little easier." My mother was a teacher and one obeyed her. For myself, I did not like the military because of the lack of freedom. You had to be in certain places at certain times and could not do otherwise. I was glad to get out, but my brother liked the security and stayed in for a 30 year career.
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Q. After the navy you moved to New York to become a dancer with the Metropolitan Opera. Was dance your first ambition?
It never entered my head. I had a friend whose wife was a ballet dancer and I had always had some interest in dance sort of abstractly. I started studying with her and then went on to another teacher and I proceeded from there. I have great legs and a career was born. I was never a good dancer. My friends at the opera used to say, "They should just let you go other and walk around." It's just like my cabaret career now. I quote Gaby Delys , who said "I can't sing, I can't dance, I can't act but it will be all right." I am exactly like that. My audiences like me and I love them. I guess they pick up on that.
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Q. In 1994 you left the world of advertising to concentrate on your writing. Looking back from 13 years on would you have done this earlier?
I never really wanted to do it earlier. I was just determined to not waste my time playing golf and drinking too much. And I ran across an unusual situation of a high school boy working as a stripper to get money for college and though "I could write a book about that." And did. "My Worst Date." It was the most reviewed first novel my publisher ever had.
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Q. One of your books 'Never Eat In' is under option to be a motion picture. Are there any developments with this?
Not so far but things are slow in Hollywood. I think a musical I wrote "Secrets of the Chorus" may make it sooner.
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Q. You come over as being very relaxed on stage and are clearly enjoying yourself. Many performers say that there is nothing to beat a live audience. Would you agree with this?
I have often thought about performing and I think some performers really like their audience. And the audience can tell. One of my friends asked, "When you are in the wings getting ready to go on does it ever occur to you that the audience may not like you?" I told him ' That is an idea that could never occur to me." In my "Gilda Lilly" show she says, "I don"t like myself. I'm crazy about myself." I couldn't imagine someone not liking me. I told my nephew that to my knowledge I had never experienced homophobia. He said, "You just don't notice it."
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Q. You have homes in Miami, Paris and Uruguay. Did you pick each location for a specific reason, and how do you divide your time between them?
I live in eternal summer. I go to Montevideo in their summer in January and February and France in August and September when it's really hot here. Miami Beach is always summery with flowers and greenery and the blowing trade winds. I am from Michigan and I never want to see Winter again.
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Q. You used to pick an artist and give them $100 a month and Quentin was a recipient. What prompted you to do this?
I have great luck and I think it is due to my being generous. I have always been able to earn money fairly easily and I like to spread it around. I plan to die in a little white room with just a bed a table and a chair. Like a Van Gogh painting. Without a cent left.
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Q. You have said that you are not aware of ever having experienced homophobia. In Britain were I live I doubt many gay men could go a week without experiencing some form of predudice. Do you think attitudes in America are better or have you been lucky?
I talked about this above. I believe we do not get what we hope for, we get what we expect. If you do not expect to be treated poorly because you are gay it happens less, certainly. As I tell everyone, "For God's sake, we are in the 21st century. I think young people are much more concerned with whether you are a good person, trying to preserve the planet, thinking of others less fortunate far more than if you are a gay. Kinsey's research shows that some people are heterosexual, some are homosexual, and in the middle are the vast majority that can go either way. I think people are beginning to realize this.
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Q. I have met a number of gay men who are married. This is an issue you cover in your book 'The secret lives of married men'. Not many people are willing or brave enough to address this issue. In one of your songs who say how can anybody love you if they don't know who you are. Have you any advice you would give to young gay men?
As Gilda Lilly says, "What's important is that you love someone. Then you get all the emotions, all the experience, all the living out of it. Who cares if they don't love you. I think many gay men, particularly the good-looking ones, are very intent that someone love them. Diane Keaton said after her affairs with Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty that she realized that she was only concerned about herself.I think when you place someone else's welfare before your own you truly love them. A lot of people can not do that and are going to have a lot of love affairs that wear out because they are the love object. And as you get older, it is harder and harder to be the love object. But men frequently will fall in love with you BECAUSE you love them.
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Q. Dancer, singer, novalist, biographer, actor, caberat performer, TV director, you have clearly always been very artistically gifted. Is there any other area you would still like to try?
When I have really lost my looks completely I am going to have an orphanage in Monevideo.
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Q. You have led such a rich and varied life. Which of all the professions you have entered is the one which has given you most pleasure and self-fulfillment?
Actually my private life has always been my primary concern. When I had a staff at Grey Advertising I always told them that their private lives came first. "It's only advertisng." I told them. Dancing gave me the greatest pleasure but acting requires an enormous amount of mental concentration with learning all your lines and remembering. Stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli, people like that get all kinds of press about their affairs but no one ever gives them credit for all the enormous amount of work that performing requires. It is really hard but great for the brain.
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Q. Of all the things you have done is there one you would wish to be remembered for?
I do not care at all about being remembered. I will not be here, darling.
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Q. So what is next on the David Leddick schedule?
I open in a new musical "Escort" the first week in August. We are in rehearsal now. I will go straight from that into a Terence McNally play "Some Men." And then in November go out on book tour with my new book from Rizzoli "The Nude Male." Then go to Montevideo where I am working on a new romantic mystery novel "Silence Hill." There is also a documentary on "Escort" hovering and I hope my publisher will decide positively on the "Escort" book they are holding. They are feeling kind of timid about it. 40 men who sell sex with photos and interviews. It's great.
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Q. And finally every performer expects to be asked - would you ever retire?
Listen, my voice is better than ever and my legs look great. I have no plans to stop imposing myself on the American public.
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