She’s still our Weather Girl, and she’s got some neeews for you: she’s coming to Orlando to celebrate Come Out With Pride on October 10, 2010.
Martha Wash is one half of the unmistakable duo that brought us the instant gay anthem “It’s Raining Men.” And she’s no stranger to performing at Pride gatherings across the world. As the closing act for Come Out With Pride, Wash will take the stage at the Walt Disney Amphitheatre at Lake Eola Park at around 6 p.m. Expect her to rain down a steady stream of the hits that have kept dance floors packed for nearly thirty years, including “Everybody, Everybody,” “Strike it Up” and “Gonna Make You Sweat.”
Wash was thrilled to talk to Watermark about her career, her music and what Pride means to her.
WATERMARK: Did you always want to be a singer?
MARTHA WASH: When I was a teenager I thought about being a kindergarten teacher. I always knew that I would sing, but I didn’t know if I could earn a living that way. When I started singing with Sylvester it became a real possibility, and I just kind of went with it.
What was it like working with Sylvester?
I auditioned for him and he asked me to find another singer that was as large as I was. I wound up bringing in Izora Armstead, and that’s where it kind of started. It was all a big learning experience for me. Singing in clubs and things like that, it was fun. It was crazy at times, but it was fun. People still remember Sylvester today, which I think is great. In a lot of ways, he was before his time… way before his time. [Sylvester, whose hit “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” is as iconic as “It’s Raining Men,” died in 1988 of complications resulting from AIDS.]
Your song “It’s Raining Men” is a permanent part of mainstream and gay culture. It’s used constantly in films and on television. How did it come about, and are you surprised that it’s still so popular?
I am surprised it’s so wildly popular. Paul Shaffer (The David Letterman Show) wrote the music, and Paul Jabara wrote the words. We were down at [Shaffer’s] house in Los Angeles and he said that he had a song that he wanted us to record. When he played the song we just laughed. He begged and pleaded with us, and we finally gave in. The next day or two we went into the studio and recorded it in about an hour and a half. We walked out of the studio and said, ‘Okay Paul, see you later.’ And that was it. He was the one who got the song played in clubs all over the country. The song was a big hit in the clubs long before radio picked up on it.
What’s kept it alive?
It is a very catchy, campy song. [Laughs] The gay community just came along and snatched it away from everybody and claimed it as an anthem, you know. That’s what I think has really helped it stand the test of time.
You became a celebrity in an era full of excess, when “anything goes” was the attitude, especially in the gay club circuit. How did you come through it alive and unscathed when so many others didn’t?
I never participated. I wasn’t into the drug scene and I don’t really drink. I stayed away from the sex (laughs) as much as possible. I worked in clubs so I saw a little bit of everything going on at the time, but I stayed away from it, and so I was able to really just maintain.
In the 90’s you sang lead vocals on huge hits for Black Box, like “Everybody, Everybody.” You ended up suing the record label for credit, and for a share of the royalties. At the time, did you realize that your battle would impact the entire music industry?
At the time, I was more concerned about different things that were being said about me in the press, and how I was being portrayed. Overall, when I look back I am happy that it turned out the way it did. It’s about people getting credit for their work.
That record label also told you that your image was unmarketable. What was that like for you?
I guess it was really nothing new. I mean, going all the way back to when I was part of Two Tons of Fun, they weren’t really sure how to market us. But the thing was, we could sing. We were large women who could sing. During that time, you did not see large women onstage, even as backup singers. 
Is it still a problem today?
I think that it has changed some, but not enough. I’ve always said that in the entertainment business, whether its music or movies or whatever, image is always the first thing that people focus on. The talent part is way down the line. It shouldn’t matter what size you are, or what you look like. Talent should be the first thing. Think about people like Susan Boyle. Most people would not call her a beautiful woman, but she has a voice that is unimaginable.
You are coming to Orlando for Come Out With Pride. Why do you think the gay community loves you so much, and why are we important to you?
I think it all goes back to Sylvester. [Laughs] The gay community has embraced us ‘lo these many years, and it is something I am thankful for. To me, the gay community is my fan base; they are the people that have supported me and have made it possible for me to work for so many years. It shouldn’t matter if you’re gay or straight. If you pay taxes and you do what you’re supposed to do as an American citizen then you should have all the same legal rights under the law. It’s a real shame that so many states haven’t legalized gay marriage. When you think about it, sixty percent of straight marriages end in divorce. I know gay couples that have been together thirty and forty years.
What does Pride mean to you?
The diversity of humankind, and even within the gay community, is something to be proud of—something to celebrate. So for me, Pride is for people to come together and have a good time and enjoy one another and just celebrate life and who you are.
