Born on November 20: Gail Ann Dorsey, in the shadow of the greats

We know that she was born in Philadelphia in 1962, but it was on the West Coast that she began her training... in film! Gail Ann has always liked to surprise the world.

At the age of 14, she acquired a bass guitar, apparently as a birthday present. At the time, however, it was guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Mark Farmer of Grand Funk Railroad and Nancy Wilson, one of the two (Canadian) sisters in the group known as Heart, who served as her models. At the time, she was still hesitating between scores and scripts, between super-8 reels and vinyl discs. But not for long. Fairwell 7th Art...

After settling in London, she multiplied her collaborations and patiently made her way, offering her talents as both an instrumentalist and a singer. Anne Pigalle and Boy George, for example, offered her the opportunity to play second fiddle to them. In the end, much like the Belgian Nicolas Fiszman, Gail Ann thrives in the shadows.

And yet, whether in the studio or on the road, she worked with Tears For Feras (from 1993 to 1995) or Matt “The The” Johnson on “Hanky Panky” (in 1995) until she became indispensable, without wanting to take all the credit. For a few years, she became Mathieu “M” Chédid's shadow, in concert of course, as well as for the “Rêvalité” album. Their version of “Space Oddity” is worthy too. For over a decade, she worked tirelessly, alternating between bass and vocals, in the shadow of David Bowie, who even asked her to stand in for Freddie Mercury on “Under Pressure”.

Sparingly, she has also sent us a few personal musical postcards: three studio albums between 1988 and 2004. Her debut, “The Corporate World”, is still well worth a listen. In her great cauldron, she blithely mixes hints of funk and R&B with some obvious pop and a hint of rock. Although artistically far apart, Eric Clapton and Andy Gill (the brilliant guitarist of Gang Of Four, too soon deceased) each bend over the cradle. But not together, that's for sure...

If you see Gail Ann Dorsey's name in the credits of a musical project or on a concert poster, don't delay. She's one of the greats!

(Stéphane Soupart - Trad.: Melissa Hekkers - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Gail Ann Dorsey promoting her album “The Corporate World” at the Astoria Hotel in Brussels (Belgium), June 1987.