Maxine "Max" Adele Feldman (December 26, 1945 – August 17, 2007) was an American
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
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*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
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Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
singer-songwriter, comedian and pioneer of
women's music
Women's music is music by women, for women, and about women. The genre emerged as a musical expression of the second-wave feminist movement as well as the labor, civil rights, and peace movements. The movement (in the USA) was started by lesbian ...
. Feldman's song "Angry Atthis," first performed in May 1969 and first recorded in 1972, is considered the first openly distributed
out
Out may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
* ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander
* ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
song of what would become the women's music movement. Feldman identified as a "big loud Jewish butch lesbian."
In later years, Feldman embraced a gender-fluid identity, according to partner Helen Thornton. Thornton described her partner's identity as "both/and" rather than "either/or." Feldman had been comfortable with either gender label and wore men's clothing on stage.
Early life
Feldman was born on December 26, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, Feldman had a
stutter
Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the ...
and requested lessons in acting. Feldman had a
bit part
In acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five lines of dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or under-five in the United States, or under sixes in British television, ...
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984.
In 1961, the school was m ...
, Feldman performed in children's theater productions.
Feldman attended Emerson College in Boston to study theater arts. After being kicked out for being a lesbian, Feldman was sent to psychiatric treatment and refused the
electroshock treatment
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive th ...
used at the time. In 1963, Feldman began performing on the vibrant Boston music circuit, at Beacon Hill and
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
coffeehouses such as the Turk's Head, the Orleans and the Loft. At one point, Feldman introduced a then-unknown
José Feliciano
José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " ...
. Openly lesbian, Feldman was described as attracting "the wrong crowd" by a local DJ.
In 1968, Feldman moved to Manhattan and then to Los Angeles. Feldman attended
El Camino College
El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a two-year public community college located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as Alondra Park. in Los Angeles County and helped to found the campus women's center.
Career
Feldman wrote the
consciousness raising
Consciousness raising (also called awareness raising) is a form of activism popularized by United States feminists in the late 1960s. It often takes the form of a group of people attempting to focus the attention of a wider group on some cause or ...
song "Angry Atthis" on May 13, 1969, prior to the
Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous protests by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of Ju ...
. The debut of the song in Los Angeles has been credited as the first performance of an openly lesbian song.
In 1970–1971, Feldman met the feminist comedy duo Harrison and Tyler, who had come to perform at the college. After hearing the performance of "Angry Atthis," Patty Harrison and Robin Tyler invited Feldman to open for them during their tour of the United States. Feldman joined Harrison and Tyler, performing for colleges and once at a state penitentiary, the California Institute for Women. After Feldman was introduced as a lesbian performer during one show at
Ventura College
Ventura College is a public community college in Ventura, California. Established in 1925, the college has a campus with an enrollment of 13,763 students. It is part of the Ventura County Community College District.
History
Ventura College ...
, the stage manager insisted on informing the audience that Feldman had not been invited by the college.
A record of "Angry Atthis" was produced by Harrison & Tyler Productions in January 1972.
Feldman worked off and on at The Back Room for Alice M. Brock, a friend. Other venues included the
Village Gate
The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village, New York. Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 160 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago school (architec ...
and the Other End, in New York City, and the Ash Grove in Los Angeles.
In 1974, Feldman shared the stage at the
Town Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
in Manhattan with
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
. ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
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* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine described the performance as a "smashing success," and said Feldman "proved an impressive spokesman for lesbians with her voice, tunes, interpretation and sense of humor." The conservative ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...
'' magazine, which also covered the show, described Feldman as "
Jonathan Winters
Jonathan Harshman Winters III (November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. Beginning in 1960, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label. He also h ...
in drag," which Feldman took as a compliment. The columnist for ''National Review'' wrote: "Maxine exits to her personal refrain, 'No longer afraid to be the big word, letter L, Lesbian.'"
Under police protection from
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
protesters, Feldman performed comedy at the
1977 National Women's Conference
The National Women's Conference of 1977 was a four-day event during November 18–21, 1977, as organized by the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year. The conference drew around, 2,000 delegates along with 15,000-20,0 ...
in Houston, Texas. Feldman later said of the event, "There were three hundred KKK in the audience carrying placards that read, 'Kill all dykes, kikes, commies, and abortionists,' and I was three out of four."
Openly Jewish, Feldman decried
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
in the women's movement:
As a kid, I was the only Jew on my block to keep my own nose, and in the Movement's early days, I was the only one to keep my own name. Women were changing their names if they had a 'man' ending. They said it was to deny the patriarchy, but they were also denying their Jewish identities. Feldman is a Jewish name, not a male name. When they asked why I didn't change it, I answered, 'Why don't Margie ''Adam'' and Cris ''Williamson'' change theirs?'
Feldman performed at the first
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, often referred to as MWMF or Michfest, was a feminist women's music festival held annually from 1976 to 2015 in Oceana County, Michigan, on privately owned woodland near Hart Township referred to as "The La ...
in 1976 and returned to the festival 14 times. Feldman's
womyn
''Womyn'' is one of several alternative political spellings of the English word ''women'', used by some feminists. There are other spellings, including ''womban'' (a reference to the womb or uterus) or ''womon'' (singular), and ''wombyn'' or ''wim ...
's anthem, "Amazon," was traditionally performed during the opening festivities of the festival. In 1986, Feldman gave the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival the rights to the song.
Feldman recorded the record album ''Closet Sale'' in 1979. The album included the songs "White Mountain Mama," "Holbrook," "Amazon," "Closet Sale," "Angry Atthis," "Everywoman," "Bottom Line," "Objectification" and "Bar One."
Feldman's music was featured in
Jan Oxenberg
Jan Oxenberg (1950) is an American film producer, director, editor, and screenwriter. She is known for her work in lesbian feminist films and in television.
Career
Oxenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1950.
She attended Barnard College ...
's 1975 film about lesbian stereotypes, ''A Comedy in Six Unnatural Acts.''
Death
Feldman, who did not have health insurance, became ill in 1994 and died on August 17, 2007, in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
at the age of 61.
Legacy
Feldman was recognized as one of the founders of women's music in
Dee Mosbacher
Diane "Dee" Mosbacher, MD, Ph.D., (born January 13, 1949 in Houston, Texas) is an American filmmaker, lesbian feminist activist, and practicing psychiatrist. In 1993, she founded Woman Vision, a nonprofit organization to promote equal treatment ...
's 2002 documentary film, ''
Radical Harmonies
''Radical Harmonies'' is a 2002 American independent documentary film directed and executive produced by Dee Mosbacher that presents a history of women's music, which has been defined as music by women, for women, and about women. The film was s ...
''.
In 2011, the album ''Amazon 35'' was released in Feldman's honor, on the 35th anniversary of the song "Amazon". The album features the original song, along with reggae, dub, salsa and acoustic versions.