Guest post

Darryl W. Bullock reflects

By Darryl W. Bullock
16 March 2023

Duckworth author Darryl W. Bullock reflects on his journey so far as a full-time writer, from inspired ‘lightbulb moments’ to the importance of editorial support.

His highly acclaimed music history, David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music, has been reissued in a stunning, new special edition as part of Duckworth’s 125th anniversary celebrations.

David Bowie Made Me Gay

It has only been six years since David Bowie Made Me Gay was first published, but that book has helped me forge a career as a full-time author.

I have had three further titles published since then and a fourth (my sixth ‘proper’ book following two self-published titles) comes out this summer.

Yet when I first came up with the vague idea for David Bowie Made Me Gay I was green, and still learning my craft.

In lots of ways I still am.

Luckily for me, the team at Duckworth saw some potential.

Music history
Paperback
£10.99
372 pages
ISBN 9780715654927

Florence Foster Jenkins

The idea came to me while I was working on my previous book, my first for Duckworth, Florence Foster Jenkins: The Life of the World’s Worst Opera Singer.

Biography
Paperback
£7.99
240 pages
ISBN 9780715651063

I had it in my head that I wanted to write something abound LGBTQ recording artists.

It seemed odd to me that, at that point, outside of a handful of major artists no one had really covered the subject

Thankfully, they shared my opinion that this was a subject that needed exploring.

I began writing David Bowie Made Me Gay in late 2015.

But it was upon Bowie’s death, in January 2016, that it started coming together in a coherent fashion.

My reaction to it, and the outpouring of love from other musicians on social media, brought on a ‘lightbulb moment’.

The 'lightbulb moment'

It’s that moment when, in flash of inspiration, everything suddenly becomes clear and the direction forward seems obvious.

Every book I’ve written since has had at least one ‘lightbulb moment’, thank goodness: the event, the story, the interview, the one personality who helps to bring the whole thing together.

The time I spent writing the book was filled with joy. I genuinely enjoy the research process, that time spent digging through old newspapers and magazines, burrowing around in archives going through boxes of documents, transcribing old interviews and undertaking new ones.

Through that I discovered singers and musicians I had never heard of before, and began to listen to other artists I had previously had no more than a passing acquaintance with.

I became friends with several of the people I interviewed for the book, and I learnt so much about myself and the process of writing.

I encountered fascinating stories while undertaking my research for the book, some of which helped plant the seed for my next book, the Velvet Mafia.

The importance of the publisher

When I presented the manuscript, it didn’t even have a title. We were still batting ideas around when my editor at Duckworth suggested we call it David Bowie Made Me Gay, which at that point was simply the title of one of the chapters. It really goes to show what a great editor brings to the party.

I genuinely believe that all of the success I have had since (including winning the highly coveted Penderyn Music Book Award in 2022) has stemmed from the work that Duckworth did on my – and the book’s – behalf.

The help and advice I received from Duckworth was invaluable; they helped make me a better writer, and between them they honed my rough clay into something far more acceptable (well, from a publishing point of view, anyway!)

Enjoy this article from Darryl W. Bullock? You’d also love David Bowie Made Me Gay – a treasure trove of moving and provocative stories that emphasise the right to be heard and the need to keep up the fight for equality in the spotlight.

The definitive book on the influence of LGBT performers on modern music: a Duckworth contemporary classic, beautifully repackaged for our 125th anniversary.

Music history
Paperback
£10.99
372 pages
ISBN 9780715654927

From Sia to Elton John, Dusty Springfield to Little Richard, LGBT voices have changed the course of modern music. But in a world before they gained understanding and a place in the mainstream, how did the queer musicians of yesteryear fight to build foundations for those who came after?

Darryl W. Bullock reveals the inspiring and often heartbreaking stories of internationally renowned stars, as well as lesser-known names, who have led the revolution from all corners of the globe.