It’s the usual end of the day question in the office… ‘How much would it cost to hire Elton John to come and sing for us to pass the time’ – yes we have that much money we don’t know what to do with it! Well with a little research I bring you our Top 10 gay icons for hire… You’ll be surprised at who’s the cheapest!
No.1) Madonna – $N/A
CREDIT: Denis Makarenko / Bigstock
Just like any good antique if there’s no price on it, you can’t afford it!
No.2) Cher – $1,000,000+
You’ll be singing ‘If I Could Turn Back time’ when this cheque clears!
Biggest shock of them all. It’s Liza with a Z-list price tag. I’d heard she’d attend the opening of a fridge which is kinda handy as I could do with another cuppa.
So how much would you pay for your favourite stars?
She may have appeared on QVC, but really – Melania Trump a gay icon?
CREDIT: By Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA, edited by User:Calliopejen1 (File:Melania Knauss-Trump.jpg) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThe Trumps only entered the White House less than a week ago (fact checked) and already people are wondering whether President Trump’s wife and now the first lady of the USA, Melania Trump could be a gay icon.
Now some people on Twitter are questioning whether she could become an official gay icon. Bearing in mind that we set our standards at Bette Midler and Cher… we’re not sure Melania will ever get there.
Well, as far as we can tell absolutely nothing. She has pledged to fight bullying during her time as First Lady, but fell short in mentioning whether that would include LGBT+ youth.
What makes a gay icon I hear you ask? Well, there’s not actually a specific set of rules, if someone is an icon, it rarely needs to be said, it’s just known. But there are some celebrities who try desperately hard to obtain the status, and they are laughed at for the most part. I’ll start with these cases first. The ones who so desperately crave a “YAAAASSSS QUEEN” off the gay community, but mostly fall short. A gay icon is created without the need for effort. For the list, I’ll be concentrating on the icons who are currently alive, with an honour roll of icons past at the end.
1. Any member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan.
There I said it, I can hear the wails of anger already. To some, they are the epitome of an icon, but to most, they are shallow, money-hungry, low rent TV reality stars who only got famous after one of them slept with Brandy’s brother and had the tape “leaked”. No one can actually point out specifically what they do. They are famous, merely for being famous. The only good thing they have going for them is they know exactly how to exploit that. Not even Caitlyn Jenner can rescue them. Her “struggles” with coming out as transgender are so far removed from the actual hell that transgender people go through that she is almost universally hated by the LGBT community. These are not people to look up to.
2. Tori Spelling
When someone feels the need to boast about their gay icon status, they are not a gay icon. While a vocal supporter of the gay community, she is far removed from icon status. Having her friends tell her she’s a gay icon doesn’t count. She’s not exactly well known, and it’s unlikely she could command much of a crowd at any event. Yeah, she used to be in Beverly Hills 90210, but who really gives a shit?
3. Katie Hopkins
Oh, Ms Hopkins, you may want to be a gay icon, but this you never shall be. While some gays may like your no nonsense mouth, to most you’re just a loud mouthed harridan who revels in spewing vitriol and trying to be as controversial as possible. It takes class to be an icon, and Katie Hopkins is severely lacking in that. You need a certain gravitas to be able to pull off being a bitch and still be beloved.
4. Perez Hilton
His disgraceful Celebrity Big Brother stint pretty much destroyed any small hope he had of achieving icon status. Gossip monger by trade, he has always tried much too hard to be a gay icon, and it comes across as crass and disingenuous. He has a knack for really pissing people off, and like Ms Hopkins, he doesn’t have the proper qualifications for being bitchy and getting away with it
5. Milo Yiannopoulos
An avid Trump supporter and self-proclaimed “dangerous faggot” Yiannopoulos tries to shock and offend as much as possible and has said incredibly offensive things about transgender people. He is the ultimate in petulant, self-obsessed, narcissistic, nasty, vindictive and hateful gays. And while some people may agree with some of the things he says, he comes across as smarmy and greasy.
6. Nick Jonas
Yes, he’s got a hot body, and a bulge for days, but being a gay tease does not an icon make. People are starting to see through the blatant attempt to appeal to the gay community by posing in very little clothing and playing TV roles that involve man on man action, I’m half expecting his nudes to “leak” at some point when he needs a boost of gay male interest in an upcoming project.
7. Miley Cyrus
Her post-Hannah Montana days shenanigans were mildly entertaining at first, but then it all became rather desperate looking and uncomfortable. She fell out of favour fairly quickly with gay fans, and she never really achieved the status of icon in the first place, despite being an advocate for LGBT rights. She seemed to be desperate for the gays to love her and it riled a lot of people.
And now for some of the true gay icons. In no particular order. This is a difficult list to narrow down because many people are considered gay icons. But there are some who stand out above the rest as the ultimate in enduring gay icons. You can’t hear their name without thinking “gay icon”
CREDIT: kathclick /BigStock
1. Dolly Parton
The queen of cheap and tacky, but amazing with it. Her look, her quirky southern charm, her infamous ahem assets and her attitude are forever endearing to the community. There will always be a Dolly tune you can rock out to, or find solace in. She is a true icon without having to be boastful. She is grateful and loving and supportive. That makes us love Ms Parton.
2. Sir Ian McKellan
Come on people, he’s Gandalf and Magneto, and a massive advocate for the gay community. He’s the true stately homo, with dignity and class, and his bromance with Captain Picard makes the nerd in us scream with excitement. He also loves attending Pride events, and has been known to be found at 3am outside a club, smoking and hobnobbing with fans. A proper British institution.
3. Cher
The big kahuna herself, and when the apocalypse happens, there will be only three things left, Cockroaches, Twinkies and Cher. Not much needs to be said as to why she is a gay icon. She’s bitchy, fabulous and a drag queen’s dream. Her costumes, stage performances and films and TV appearances bring out the queen in all of us. Plus she’s so famous she doesn’t need to know how to order pizza (according to Kathy Griffin) and no one cares. She is one of the ultimate gay icons. She’s Cher bitch!!
4. Betty White
If there’s anything better than sliced bread (she was born before it was even invented) it’s the only remaining Golden Girl herself, Betty White. She’s the matriarch of gay icons, and at 95, she is still rocking and beloved by all. There really isn’t anything bad you can say about this woman, and long may she continue to entertain us. And as the younger generation find out about The Golden Girls, they too will fall in love with Rose Nylund.
5. RuPaul
The drag mother himself, RuPaul has entertained fans for many years. Never one to mince words, RuPaul found fame in 1993 after the song “Supermodel” came out, but it was 2009 that saw his star truly rise when a little show called RuPaul’s Drag Race came thundering onto our screens, and nearly 9 seasons later the show goes from strength to strength, and also reintroduced us to RuPaul’s cohort, Michelle Visage, who is somewhat of a gay icon herself, due to her unwavering vocal support of a community who took her to their hearts.
6. Ellen DeGeneres
Her reminder of “be kind to one another” strikes a chord in the community and her warmth and generosity towards others can only make people smile. She rose from a little-known stand-up comedian to one of the most watched women on TV. People love Ellen, and her gay icon status is very much deserved. She doesn’t take herself seriously and proves that it’s OK to be gay and live a normal life without shame or guilt. A truly inspirational woman.
7. Stephen Fry
I would be hard pushed not to put bitingly witty, intelligent, charming and all round fabulous person Stephen Fry on this list. From the days of Blackadder to the presenter of QI, Fry has been an icon for a long time. He has been voted numerous times as an ultimate gay icon and it’s not hard to see why. His eloquent way of speaking and conducting himself appeals to many fans alike.
8. Madonna
Anyone who can bring voguing into the mainstream deserves a place among the icons. The Queen of Pop and reinvention herself has been popular for 30 years, and to this day still commands massive crowds. Gay fans flocked to Madonna and her ridiculously catchy dance tunes will still get many a gay on the dance floor, and while she may not be as popular as she once, there’s still only one Madonna.
9. Diana Ross
With a gay anthem like “I’m coming out” Diana Ross with all her glittery outfits, and diva-like behaviour screams gay icon. Having a career that’s lasted since God’s dog was a puppy also helps. She’s also probably the only woman to shut down West Hollywood so she could film a music video with RuPaul and 200 drag queens. Gay Icon certified.
10. Bette Midler
Miss Midler was performing in gay venues in the 70s after seeing the positive reaction from the LGBT crowd, and then in 1993, she achieved gay cult status as Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. Her glittery stage presence and music is always a hit amongst the gay crowd, and while occasionally she has put foot in mouth, her iconic status cannot be refuted.
Some of you may ask why I haven’t included people like Britney, Beyonce or Lady Gaga, Well I’ll explain. The icons I chose have been talking points for a very long time, and I can see them still being talked about long after they are no longer with us. Gaga et al, still have a way to go before true icon status is achieved, and while they have an icon-like following, in my eyes they aren’t legendary…yet!
Honour roll of past gay icons
Carrie Fisher
Joan Rivers
Bette Davies
Joan Crawford
David Bowie
Bea Arthur
Quentin Crisp
Divine
Judy Garland
Donna Summer
Harvey Milk
Marsha P Johnson
James Dean
Marlon Brando
Marlene Dietrich
Lucille Ball
Freddie Mercury
George Michael
Whitney Houston
Alan Turing
Marilyn Monroe
Mae West
Jackie Onassis
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
Amongst the gay community (us gays) we like to have icons. Over the years we have called out quite a few. Ranging from Madonna & Kylie back in the day to more modern icons like Barack Obama, Lady Gaga or Stephen Fry.
For some time I have been of the opinion that any old celeb is declared a gay icon these days. It appears that all people have to do now is pander to the gay community, remove their clothes, camp it up and/or say they love the gays in order to be awarded gay icon status.
Then there are those who declare their interest in being gay icons (yes, I’m talking about you Katie Hopkins). No. Just no.
The world appears to be saturated with ‘gay icons’ in these modern times. I’ve heard people proclaiming the likes of Nick Jonas, Gemma Collins (who I had to Google because I had no idea who she was) and Dan Osborne as gay icons. While I have great, and purely shallow, admiration for Nick Jonas and Dan Osborne, they are not gay icons. They may frequently take their clothes off to the rabid cheers of gay men, but what have they actually done for the gay community other than cash in on us?
Then we have our beloved Kylie Minogue. Let me put it out there that I’m a bit of a stereotype in that I’m a huge Kylie fan. However, in my opinion she isn’t a gay icon. As fabulous as Kylie is, what has she actually done to help further gay rights? I can get on board with her campness and her words of wisdom, such as “When in doubt, add more glitter”, but for all Kylie’s fabulousness, she is not a true gay icon. This is because my idea of a gay icon is someone who has contributed significantly to LGBT causes and issues. People who have broken down stereotypes and challenged perception are also gay icons to me. So here is my list of people who I believe are genuinely gay icons.
Madonna
This is a totally obvious one, but the truth is that Madonna really is a gay icon. She has long stood up for gay rights and was an active champion of our cause in the days when it wasn’t really cool. Even in recent years, Madonna has stood up for gay rights by turning up at a GLAAD event dressed as a boy scout in protest at the scouts in America not allowing gay people to join and protesting against Russia’s treatment of gay people whilst touring in the country. This led to a court summons for Madonna and she was branded an “ex-whore” by someone in the Russian government. What I like about Madonna is that she knows exactly what she is doing. She knows that her profile as one of the most famous people on the planet will draw attention to the issues that she chooses to highlight. Then there’s Madonna’s video for her song Justify My Love, which features man on man action and lesbian cross-dressing sexual games. Nobody else was doing things like that in the early 90s. We have a lot to thank Madonna for.
Skin
Skin is the lead singer of Skunk Anansie, who are one of my favourite bands. Skin is a bald headed black bisexual female who makes heavy rock music. At the time Skunk Anansie rose to fame, black women were put into boxes as RnB singers and the idea that a black female would make hard rock music was absurd to the music industry. But Skin stuck to who she is and carried on, eventually becoming massively successful with her band. Over twenty years since Skunk Anansie released their first album, Skin remains one of a kind. Never one to flaunt her sexuality or claim to be any kind of gay icon, she has simply remained true to herself throughout an amazing career. So for me Skin is not only a gay icon, but an icon for black people and more simply, an icon full stop.
Stephen Fry
While being delightfully entertaining, Stephen Fry has also actively campaigned for many years on things such as HIV/AIDS, mental health and gay rights. He also championed a number of LGBT causes, often using Twitter to tell his 11 million followers about the important work of certain LGBT charities.
Lady Gaga
Although another obvious choice, Gaga has done a lot in terms of raising awareness of LGBT issues and speaking out against discrimination. It’s well documented what Gaga has done for LGBT people, from speaking out about the suicides of gay teens in America to marching on the White House to get the controversial Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell rule abolished. If you forget about the circus act that surrounds Lady Gaga, it’s plain to see that she is an example of an amazing human being.
Sir Ian McKellan
Not only is Ian McKellan one of the most well-known actors in the world; he is also probably the most high profile out gay actor. With a large pull at the box office, on stage and on television, Ian McKellan has still got it. However, it’s not just being an out actor that’s got him onto this list. He has also been active in the campaign for gay rights since the 1980s and even helped to found Stonewall.
Other people I view as gay icons include Ben Cohen, Jimmy Somerville, Ellen DeGeneres, Peter Tatchell and Tony Blair. Perhaps my list is predictable and there are not many people on it who differ from the typical roll call of gay icons. However, I see everyone listed as a true gay icon. They have actually done something significant to help further gay rights and break down stereotypes. That’s what a gay icon is, right?
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
We asked our readers to nominate and then vote on their favourite British gay icons. We had over 70 names nominated and then voted on by thousands of readers, giving us the 2015 Great British Gay Icon.
Of course this opens up the debate about who and what makes a great icon, but looking at the top 50, it’s clear that icons, are inspirational individuals who have changed and shaped the lives of thousands of LGBT people in the UK.
# 1 Stephen Fry
An incredible man for which the honour of Greatest British Gay Icon has been bestowed. Actor, writer, activist and all round genius. Beloved by all.
The gay scientist who created the machine that would end the Second World War, two to four years earlier saving millions of lives. He was recently posthumously pardoned for “gross indecency” charges laid against him because he was gay. Being gay at the time was illegal in the UK.
# 3 Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian has worked tirelessly on activism and is part of the reason why we have pride in the UK. Recently, his show Vicious with Sir Derek Jacobi became one of the first shows on ITV to show a same-sex marriage.
One of the world’s most visible icons of all time. He told us it was okay to Break Free. He died from AIDS related complications in 1991 at the height of the AIDS crisis.
Princess Diana was the first prominent public figure to be photographed with a man who had AIDS at a time where there was much fear from the general public about it. She was the patron of the National AIDS Trust until her death in 1997. She was also known to be great friends with Freddie Mercury.
#6 Tom Daley
Became a hero to a legion of fans when he came out via YouTube in December 2013.
#7 Will Young
Young’s coming out was a national affair, a day after he won the first ever Pop Idol in the UK. Over a decade later he’s still releasing music and filling theatres with his concerts.
#8 Jennifer Saunders
Is the genius that brought us Absolutely Fabulous, universally quoted by gay men. Glass of Champagne for Lulu.
#9 Geri Halliwell
One fifth of the world’s most famous girl group – although her eye for the camp and kitsch has seen Halliwell become a firm favourite with the gay community.
#10 Annie Lennox OBE
Warrior, singer, writer and activist Annie Lennox has been the soundtrack to our lives. Hailed as a icon of the 80s music scene and is famed for her work on HIV awareness.
#11 Russell Tovey
Actor
#12 Joanna Lumley OBE
Actor and activist
#13 Russell T. Davies
Writer and script writer
#14 Alexander McQueen CBE (1969 – 2010)
Clothing designer
#15 Ben Cohen
Sporting personality and activist
#16 Paul O’Grady MBE
TV personality and former Drag Queen (Lily Savage)
You might not know who Billy Strayhorn is but he was openly gay musician and composer in the 1940s when a time when homosexuality was deeply frowned upon.
Billy Strayhorn is a jazz composer of colour who has often been overlooked in musical history. However his story is of an early LGBT pioneer, choosing to live an open and authentic life as an openly gay man.
To celebrate his life on Friday 20th November at Cadogan Hall, a concert entitled ‘Lush Life – The Songs of Billy Strayhorn’ will celebrate his contribution to the music scene.
The performance is being put together by Alex Webb, and will feature performance including David McAlmont.
Strayhorn was born one hundred years ago. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1964, he died in 1967 with his partner Bill Groves by his side.
We were dying to know what AI thought of gay icons. Something makes us think the programmers never envisaged a chat about Judy Garland, Cilla Black and Joan Collins.
And here’s what happened over at cleverbot.com.
TGUK: Do you know what a gay icon is?
CB: Yes, I know what a gun is.
TGUK: A gun, what has that to do with gay icons?
CB: I am sometimes lacking self esteem.
TGUK: Do you think you’re a gay icon?
CB: Of course not. Did you get that from the word blue?
TGUK: No… what about Judy Garland, is she a gay icon?
CB: Is he the one who’s in charge of Apple?
TGUK: I believe he was actually a she…
CB: What was 9?
TGUK: … Okay what about Joan Collins or Cilla Black are they gay icons?
CB: It’s the best band in the world.
TGUK: We love a bit of Cilla, it has to be said.
CB: Are you the bit of software?
TGUK: Okay, well you must know who Alan Turing is…
CB: How do you know of Alan Turing?
TGUK: He was a gay icon, who changed the world.
We look back into history and highlight other unsung gay men who have made an incredible different to our lives.
Alan Turing (1912–1954)
Alan Turing was a British pioneering computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and mathematical biologist. During the Second World War, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park, Britain’s code-breaking centre. For a time he led Hut 8, the section responsible for German naval cryptanalysis and created the Turing Machine which decrypted the “unbreakable” German Enigma code. Turing’s pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic. It is said by some historians that Turing’s work at Bletchley Park shortened the war by two to four years and saved approximately fourteen million to twelve million lives. Nevertheless, Turing led a sheltered and castigated life due to his homosexuality. Whilst he was briefly engaged to fellow Bletchley Park worker Joan Clarke, it was a purely plutonic relationship and they soon divorced. Turing was prosecuted by the police in 1952 for homosexual acts, when such behaviour was still criminalised in the UK. He accepted treatment with oestrogen injections (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison and became incredibly depressed. He committed suicide in 1954. Turing’s wartime heroics were not celebrated until he received an official pardon from Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009 following an internet campaign, and then a further royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II in 2013. From 9th March, 2015, the biopic of Alan Turing’s life and heroics, THE IMITATION GAME, will become available on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of StudioCanal.
Bayard Rustin (1912-1987)
Bayard Rustin was the brain behind Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement in 1960s America. Rustin was one of the driving forces behind the Congress for Racial Equality and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Most significantly, Rustin organized the 1963 March on Washington — where King gave his legendary “I have a dream” speech. However, due to his homosexuality and his membership in the Communist Party, he has often received short shrift from historians and his integral role in the civil rights movement is often overlooked. At the time, Rustin selflessly avoided the limelight because he knew that elected officials and politicians would attempt to discredit the civil rights movement by pointing out his sexual and political leanings. Rustin was also heavily involved in the anti–Vietnam War and gay rights movements before his death in 1987.
Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929)
Sergei “Serge” Diaghilev was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, but also one of the first outspoken and unapologetically gay men of the early 20th century. Sergei Diaghilev reshaped that epoch’s ideas about art and performance, and was a pioneer in adapting new musical styles to modern ballet. He created the Ballets Russes mainly as a showcase for his lover and protégé Vaslav Nijinsky, who is still considered one of the greatest dancers who ever lived. Diaghilev had exquisite tastes, bringing the work of such artists as Balanchine, Picasso, Pavlova and Cocteau onto the stage in his cutting-edge productions, which were often unabashedly erotic. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Diaghilev was condemned as an especially insidious example of bourgeois decadence and his contribution to Russian art was written out of history by the Soviets for more than sixty years.
Larry Kramer (1935-present)
Every movement needs a voice of anger and righteousness, and when the AIDS pandemic hit, the gay community was lucky to have Larry Kramer, whose editorials and plays (particularly The Normal Heart) demanded that the government take action and that gay men take responsibility for their health. A fascinating author and a rabble-rouser in the best sense, Kramer continues to be a vital and often infuriating presence. Kramer co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), which has become the world’s largest private organization to raise funds for and provide services to people stricken with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Harvey Milk (1930–1978)
Harvey Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisor.
Milk moved from New York City to settle in San Francisco in 1972 amid a migration of gay men to the Castro District. He ran unsuccessfully for political office three times. Nevertheless, his theatrical campaigns earned him increasing popularity, and Milk won a seat as a city supervisor in 1977. Milk served almost 11 months in office and was responsible for passing a stringent gay rights ordinance for the city. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, another city supervisor who had recently resigned but wanted his job back. Despite his short career in politics, Milk became an icon in San Francisco and a martyr in the gay community. In 2008 a Hollywood biopic Milk, starring Sean Penn, honoured Harvey Milk’s transformation of San Fransisco into a mecca for LGBT Americans and in 2009 Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Imitation Game is out on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download platforms now , courtesy of StudioCanal
We are fast approaching the New Year’s Honours List when HM The Queen will make a few more illustrious women who have made significant contributions to society a Dame (of the British Empire to be exact). It’s a very select ‘club’ and includes some of our very favourite ladies who have enriched all our lives one way or another. So to honour them, here’s THE GAY UK‘S TOP TEN DAMES
1) DAME JUDI DENCH: if you can win an OSCAR for a performance that lasts no longer than 8 minutes (‘Shakespeare in Love’) then you really are a Star in every sense of the word.
2) DAME MAGGIE SMITH: two-time OSCAR winner and the cutting queen of the perfect put-down with her scary withered looks, we’d watch this grand Dame if she was just reading the phone directory out loud.
3) DAME HELEN MIRREN: whom we actually call Deputy Queen after she stole our hearts and her first OSCAR for playing H.M. with such dignity and style.
4) DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY: the brassy girl from Tiger Bay who has belting out hits for years and sued for belting her staff too. We love her regardless.
5) DAME KIRI TE KANAWA: we fell for this operatic diva from New Zealand when we saw her recording ‘West Side Story’ with Leonard Bernstein (later parodied by French and Saunders who both should be made Dames too)
6) DAME JOAN PLOWRIGHT (Baroness Olivier): if you had ever had the good fortune to see this sublime actress on stage you’d appreciate that she was every bit as good as her famous late husband.
7) DAME EILEEN ATKINS: celebrated actress & writer (she co-created Upstairs Downstairs) with a lengthy stunning resume, but in our eyes she will always be the wonderful snobby Miss Deborah (and big sister to Dame Judi as Miss Matty) in ‘Cranford‘ TV series
8) DAME DIANE RIGG: a multi-awarding winning ‘serious’ actress and one of the first to ‘bare all’ on a West End stage, she is still however best known for her sexy leather clad Emma Peel in the hit TV series ‘The Avengers ‘in the 1960’s
9) BARONESS BAKEWELL D.B.E.: one of very first female TV presenters on the heavyweight current affairs programmes to be taken seriously. Never afraid to be forthright and frank with her views she was dubbed ‘the thinking man’s crumpet’.
We couldn’t decide on 10th place so we are awarding this spot to two great Dames
10) DAME JULIE ANDREWS: probably one of the most ‘English’ of our list even though she left our shores many years ago to climb every mountain and fly over chimney pots.
10) DAME EVELYN GLENNIE: profoundly deaf since 12 years old this Scottish virtuoso percussionist not only doe she make such incredible music, Dame Evelyn has a seemingly limitless capacity to inspire all of us.
