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The first true queer country album was Lavender Country’s self-titled release in 1973. More widely known by their other name, The Prairie Ramblers, the group decided to take on a pseudonym to record some scandalous songs written by their pianist Bob Miller. The very first gay country song is thought to be I Love My Fruit by The Sweet Violet Boys. After all, queerness has been present in all aspects of society throughout human history. Queer country and queer country musicians have arguably existed since the very beginning of the genre in the late 1920s and early 1930s. And although they may be considered mavericks and outliers in the largely conservative world of country music, the genre actually has a long-standing, though little-known, queer history. He, along with Lil Nas X – whose hit Old Town Road became the longest-running number-one song ever – and Trixie Mattel of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame, are at the forefront of a new wave of country music that includes the LGBTQ+ community. Known for his soaring vocals (a mix of Glen Campbell and Roy Orbison), fringed leather mask and haunting, erotic lyrics, Peck felt like a much-needed breath of fresh air in a genre that seemed to have stagnated since the 1970s.
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In 2019, a mysterious masked crusader by the name of Orville Peck took the alternative country scene by storm with his debut album Pony.