Smashing world records is one thing, but smashing world records held by Michael Phelps is something altogether spectacular. Léon Marchand is doing just that as he takes to the world stage of the Paris Olympic Games. Representing host country France, Marchand may make his biggest splashes to date as he swims for the gold in the city of the Seine. This morning he earns his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day.
Setting the Olympic Opening Ceremony aflame is Aya Nakamura, who earns her first Dazzler of the Day honor thanks to her pulsating pizzazz and a career of musical brilliance. The French-Malian singer-songwriter is one of the superstars of France, which makes her a fitting musical ambassador to these Olympic Games.
She is one of the classic icons in a world where that distinction is becoming more and more rare. Bette Midler has been thrilling audiences and fans since the 1970’s, when she made a historic splash at the Gay Bathhouses of New York City. It instantly made her an icon for the gay community – and our love for her has never wavered. Since then, she’s made hit movies, had hit albums, and won award after award. She’s conquered every entertainment medium – from television to music to movies to Broadway – and made indelible contributions to each. Honoring her as Dazzler of the Day is not even a blip in her legacy, but it’s all I have to give. She’s also shown a legendary dedication to environmental causes, especially in her beloved New York, where she founded the New York Restoration Project, which aims to clean and restore green spaces in the city.
Long before Theo James slipped his apparatus into the iconic Dolce & Gabbana white Speedo, David Gandy was selling his wares with his sculpted body, and his legendary work as a male model has more than earned this Dazzler of the Day crowning. These days, Gandy has his own line of clothing, and a company and website that was the only one sensitive enough to allow for opting out of Father’s Day messages – something that feels refreshingly caring in a world where not much really matters anymore. Here’s a reminder of what made Gandy so transfixing in the first place – check out his website and clothing line – David Gandy Wellwear – for more brilliance.
A modern-day Renaissance Man, who has gone from baseball player to country music star, Bryan Ruby has had one of the most impressive journeys that any Dazzler of the Day can claim. But as Reading Rainbow used to tell us, you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s the bio from his website, to which he can now add Dazzler of the Day:
BRYAN RUBY is a rising country music artist and trailblazing professional baseball player based in Nashville, Tennessee. As a songwriter, Bryan has penned songs that have appeared on the Texas Country Top 50 chart and the iTunes Country Top 25 (#16), and songs he has written have been featured on both Huffington Post and People Magazine. As an artist, Bryan won Season 7 of the talent-search competition Nashville Rising Song, and released his debut single“Left Field” in June 2022. The song was featured on The TODAY Show and added to rotation on SiriusXM Country Pride, as well as the Academy of Country Music’s Ultimate Pride Playlist.
With rich vocals and authentic storytelling on follow-up singles “Two For The Road” (August ‘22), “The Standouts” (October ‘22), “Christmas With You” (November ‘22), “Baseball Country” (March ‘23), and “The Standouts (Heroes Version)” feat. Ty Herndon (June ‘23), “Bryan’s introspective and relatable storytelling‘ (The Nash News) and “expressive baritone” (Music Row Magazine) give him a unique calling card in the up-and-coming Nashville country scene.
Bryan made history in September 2021 when he became the only active professional baseball player to come out as gay at the time. The inspirational story was featured in USA Today as well as 100+ media outlets around the world including CBS, Yahoo, Bleacher Report and Teen Vogue. He then founded Proud To Be In Baseball, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating, educating, and creating opportunities for the next generation of LGBTQ baseball players. Ruby’s nonprofit work has earned him a spot on Out Magazine’s prestigious Out 100 list, as well as the Rising Star award from the Foundation For Love & Acceptance in Nashville.
“Baseball and country music are part of the fabric of our great country. If there’s one message I hope people hear in my songs, it’s that hard work and heart can carry you through even what the world tells you are insurmountable obstacles. You can earn your place by following your passion, no matter who you are.” — Bryan Ruby
Madonna seems to have been more enamored of Diplo than many of her fans were enamored of her collaborations with him, but that hasn’t dimmed his star or diminished his current standing as Dazzler of the Day. Thanks to his cheeky click-baiting nudity or endless musical joint-ventures, Diplo has been a force in the music industry for over a decade now. His latest collab ‘Midnight Ride’ with Orville Peck (himself no stranger to nakedness) and Kylie Minogue is on heavy rotation in these parts, sending summer into scintillating orbit.
Our road to the Summer Olympics continues with the this crowning of Timo Cavelius as Dazzler of the Day. Representing Germany in judo, Cavelius is the first openly gay athlete to compete in that sport. Trailblazing history is something Cavelius simply takes in stride. Watch for him at the Paris Olympics starting this month.
Back when blogs were a big deal, Andy Towle created one of the most popular and relevant gay blogs the world had ever seen in Towleroad. Prior to that, and going even further back to when magazines ruled the gay landscape as far as getting information and making like-minded connections, Towle was the editor-in-chief of Genre magazine. In both career instances, he pioneered the path for an openly, and at times defiantly, gay existence, providing a means and mechanism for all of us to feel less alone at a time when easy access to other gay people often proved difficult at best. A lot has changed and happened since then, and in recent years Towle has successfully shifted his goals and focus to his painting, which finds happy fruition in a show currently running at Provincetown Commons (with another reception scheduled for this Friday, July 5 for all those in Provincetown for the holiday).
Today he earns his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day thanks to the fascinating journey he has invited us to join over the past two decades. (See more of his work on his website here.)
Clinching the number one position on the men’s gymnastics Olympic team representing the USA, Frederick Richard is crowned as Dazzler of the Day in glorious anticipation of this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, France. Helming our Olympic gymnastics team, Richard has vowed to bring home some medals, even if he’s already proven himself in the past year of competition.
Earning a second trip to the summer Olympics, Ryan Murphy also earns this Dazzler of the Day crowning. Following up on previous golden glory, Murphy is now a veteran, and maybe that means he has a little more to prove. Summer is made for swimming, and Murphy was made for speed – watch both collide in Paris next month.
If anyone is still looking for a Pride anthem at this late date, check out ‘Be Your Girl’ by John Duff, which takes us back to the gloriously melodic whirling days of carefree disco and delicious pop hookery. Duff has made a few of these bops, and several eye-popping videos to go along with them, easily earning this Dazzler of the Day crowning just in time to end Pride Month on a high note.
Joining other luminaries from ‘The Gilded Age‘ (see Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Ashlie Atkinson, and Donna Murphy) Louisa Jacobson earns her first Dazzler of the Day thanks to her sweet turn as Marian Brook, who forms the sentimental heart of that sometimes-cutting show. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Jacobson began by making her mark on stage, which is where the bulk of ‘The Gilded Age’ actors originated, lending the ensemble its own stylistic grace.
An Olympic superstar, Michael Phelps helps continue the fanfare for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, France. Phelps is no stranger to the five rings, holding the record of the most decorated Olympian in history (28 medals). More recently he’s been speaking out on mental health, something that may prove just as compelling and important for those in need of support. He earns his first Dazzler of the Day for his legacy and his efforts to keep making a difference. (And his previous penchant for going naked doesn’t hurt.)
Five decades of any career is impressive – five decades of a career in show business is the stuff of legend, and such is the stuff of Holland Taylor, who is crowned Dazzler of the Day. Many, many years ago, I was at a party thrown for Lee Bailey that Holland was attending, but I was much too shy to say anything to her. Maybe it was her indelible scene-stealing turn in ‘Legally Blonde‘ that lent her such an wonderfully-intimidating slant, or the weight of her sparkling career glowing around her like a legacy. Whatever the reason, I’ve always been a fan, and today she is our Dazzler.
Call me a convert to the church of the coven, as I have fallen completely under the musical spell of enchantment cast by Stevie Nicks and her storied legacy of song sorcery. My friend JoAnn took me to my first Stevie Nicks show at Mohegan Sun this past Sunday, and it was a soul-enriching reminder of the healing power of music – and testament to the enduring performance wizardry of a woman who, despite her repeated reminders of her 76-years of age and wisdom, stood center stage and kept command of an entirely-rapt sold-out audience for two straight hours. The history of her triumphs and tribulations over the past few decades is as tortured and twisted as it is wondrous and miraculous. She’s worked her magic while countless others have burned brightly and faded quickly around her.
A little more than halfway through the how, I marveled at how she had preserved her voice over all those years of gold dust living, when she paused to share the background on how she has religiously maintained a 40-minute vocal warm-up regime before every single show she has done over the past twenty years or so. It’s that sort of dedication to her craft – and her passion for the music that has sustained her during the darkest days – which has established her presence in the firmament of musical legends. This Dazzler of the Day crowning is hardly enough to convey how many lives she has changed and inspired, and it’s only the start of my own discovery of her genius.
