How Lesbian Singer Norma Tanega Took Hollywood by Storm
The Hollywood Reporter, was “forced” to marry a man after rumors about her sexuality circulated. At the time, the most “common” arrangement, Divelbess says, was “a lesbian would marry a gay man” as so-called beards for one another. “That would please the audiences and allow them to live their own lives.”“We were certainly not amongst the [out] activists,” Divelbess says.
Even venturing out at night on Hollywood Boulevard carried risks of arrest — for gay men, in particular. She recalls how one of her friends was stopped by police by venturing out to acquire aspirin at 10 p.m.While they avoided gay bars for fear of a raid, Divelbess recalls one queer-friendly establishment she and Tanega frequented: a piano bar named the Frog Pond.
The pianist “would wear a tiara and play wonderful songs at the piano. And they all had gay lyrics.”While Tanega may not have been marching in the streets, her unique voice and queer worldview influences culture in the present day.
Die-hard fans of What We Do in the Shadows will know that the vampire comedy’s theme song, “You’re Dead,” was written and sung by Tanega. “I have no idea” why Tanega would write a macabre song that repeats the titular phrase over and over, Divelbess confesses.
