By Denny Patterson
Known for her distinct and powerful voice, two-time Grammy Award nominee Martha Wash has dominated the airwaves with her charisma and talent, while embracing millions of people around the world.
She first achieved fame as part of Two Tons O’ Fun, who sang backup vocals for disco great Sylvester, including his signature hit “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).” After achieving their own record deal and releasing three commercially successful hits, the duo changed their name to The Weather Girls in 1982 after their top-selling single “It’s Raining Men” brought them to mainstream pop attention. Forty years later, it remains a cult classic and gay anthem that can be heard anywhere and everywhere.
Wash’s career creates a colorful history, telling the story of dance and pop music from the days of disco to the present, and she has toured and performed with the world’s top entertainers.
OutClique caught up with the legendary artist to talk more about “It’s Raining Men,” and more.
Denny Patterson: Thank you for taking some time to chat with me, Martha! In June, you returned to your hometown of San Francisco and performed at its Pride celebration. How exciting was that?
Martha Wash: It was a homecoming, so I was very excited and happy to do it. It’s been quite a few years since I performed at San Francisco Pride.
DP: How meaningful is it for you to perform at Pride celebrations?
MW: It means a lot to me. Pride is a celebration of people coming out and celebrating themselves, people that are like them, and people who support them. I think everybody should be celebrated, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. So, you have to be able to celebrate yourself and others like you. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community is very low on the totem pole as far as rights and things, and although it’s slowly getting better, it’s still not enough.
DP: Yes, there is still a lot of work to be done. As a LGBTQ advocate, you have worked to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS issues. Sadly, you lost a lot of friends during the AIDS epidemic, including Sylvester, who you frequently collaborated with. How do you reflect on that period of time?
MW: It was horrible. Very, very horrible because, naturally, it was a quote unquote gay disease. It’s always like, blame it on the little people first. It couldn’t be anything that was higher up in socio economic status, so it was always touted as a gay disease. As time went on, we found out that it wasn’t just necessarily a gay disease. Everybody was getting it. Unfortunately, yes, it was a large number of gay people, but as time went on, straight people were getting it too. So, that’s the sad part about that, and losing so many friends, family members, and people that you’ve worked with in the business. It was really crazy.
DP: I can’t even imagine. Well, moving to a happier topic, your iconic song “It’s Raining Men” is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Looking back, did you ever expect it to become such a monumental gay anthem?
MW: No, and that’s the crazy part for me. I wasn’t thinking like that because I told Paul Jabara, I don’t think anybody’s going to really buy that song. Needless to say, Paul Jabara really pushed the song, and it was a huge hit in the clubs. Gay clubs especially, but long before mainstream radio even picked up on it, it was a hit. The gay community kind of snatched that song and made it an anthem for them (laughs).
DP: For those who don’t know, how did that song come to fruition?
MW: Paul Jabara asked Izora and me to record the song, and we said no. Like I said, we didn’t think it was going to work, and he literally pleaded with us to record the song. He told us who had turned it down previously, like Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, and Cher, they all passed on it. Years later, I thought about it and started laughing. I’m thinking to myself, can you imagine Barbra Streisand singing “It’s Raining Men?” It just doesn’t quite click. So, I guess it was meant to be us.
DP: How do you feel when you see audiences today still singing and dancing along to your songs that have become timeless club classics?
MW: That’s exactly what it is. It’s a classic, and the thing is, it has morphed so much into one of those fun songs that everybody sings. It’s played at weddings, bar mitzvahs, all kinds of parties. You got the grandparents dancing to it, the kids dancing to it, and even the grandkids dancing to it. It just became one of those classic songs that everybody can have fun with, and that means the world to me.
DP: What have you always hoped audiences take away from your music?
MW: Well, the music that I’m doing now is totally different from the dance music that everybody knows me for. Moreso, I would say this is kind of reflective music. Songs that kind of speak to the people and hopefully makes them feel good, but also reflective. That they can really connect with the lyrics of the song.
DP: Is there a secret in how you have kept your voice intact all these years?
MW: (Laughs) No. It has changed quite a bit because I’m older now, but I just work with what I’ve got.
DP: You are also currently traveling the country with your First Ladies of Disco tour. How has that been going, and what can audiences expect?
MW: It’s been really nice, and I think people can expect to have a lot of fun. I want them to think about the songs that they danced to when they were younger. Remember those songs, sing along, and dance. Think of the good times when you were younger and dancing away in the club!
DP: What more do you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?
MW: Gosh, I really don’t know. I keep saying I want to record a gospel album, but it hasn’t come about yet. So, I’d still like to do that, and I’d like to continue working with First Ladies of Disco. We’re kind of known as a heritage act because we’re up in that age bracket where I think some people think that the older you get, the less relevant you become. I dare to say that’s not true, and I would also say to them, if you’re young, wait until you get a little older and see if you feel the same way. Overall, I hope to just remain relevant, create music, and produce shows that people will enjoy.
Stay up-to-date and connect with Wash by following her on Facebook @TheMarthaWash and Twitter @Martha_Wash, or visit her official website, MarthaWash.com. To find out where First Ladies of Disco will be playing, visit FirstLadiesofDiscoShow.com.
