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TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TTIImmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee • June 30, 2007 • 1
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2 • June 30, 2007 • TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee
Gioia (pronounced "joy-
ah") was a member of the
Arista Records pop group
Exposé. In the late eighties and
nineties, Exposé released the block-
buster gold & platinum selling
albums Exposure and What YouDon’t Know which spawned 8
Billboard "top-ten" hit singles
including Come Go With Me, Pointof No Return, Let Me Be The One,What You Don’t Know, Tell Me Why,When I Looked At Him, Your BabyNever Looked Good In Blue and
Billboard's #1 hit single, Seasons
Change.
The monster successes of Exposé
lead Gioia to perform extensively
on 3 major world tours. Gioia was
also seen on many television pro-
grams during this time, with such
credits as The Arsenio Hall Show,
Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, The Tonight
Show with Johnny Carson, MTV
(Guest VJ), VH1 (Guest VJ) and a
CBS Special with Dick Clark at
Radio City Music Hall.
After her departure from Exposé,
Gioia took time to recover from an
inoperable benign throat tumor and
raise her daughter Brianna. Gioia
couldn't even speak for 3 years and
doctors informed her she would
never sing again. After 5 years of
healthy living, meditation and faith
in God, the tumor disappeared and
Gioia did indeed begin to sing
again.
As co-founder and artistic direc-
tor, Gioia opened and managed the
West Broward Performing Arts
Academy in the Miami area and
began to explore her passion for
writing and music production.
Gioia wrote and produced a rock
album with John Thomas and the
group WET.
She toured and rocked houses
across the U.S as the group's lead
singer. During this period Gioia met
and began writing with Ritchie
Supa of Aerosmith. Supa intro-
duced Gioia to Richie Sambora of
Bon Jovi and the chemistry was
there. Gioia started touring the
globe with Sambora's band, singing
and playing percussion, with
numerous concerts and television
appearances such as The Late Show
with David Letterman.
Today, Gioia is back on stage as a
solo artist, singing better than ever,
touring nationally and reconnecting
with her loyal fans plus new ones
from around the world. Off to a
great start, Gioia's first solo release,
FREE TO BE, became an under-
ground club anthem that received
favorable notice from Billboard.
The song was written for her good
friend and a relative who passed
away from AIDS.
When word got out about Gioia's
track FROM THE INSIDE, one by
one, up-and-comers Mike
“DaMooch” Mucci, Twisted Dee,
Sweden's D-Wave, Grammy®
Award Winner E Smoove and leg-
endary DJ Junior Vasquez jumped
on board to lend their master remix-
ing talents to the track. It is exp
ected that FROM THE INSIDE will
be released as a single in the com-
ing months. Remixes will also be
featured on various upcoming com-
pilations such as the upcoming
Centaur Records' DJ Roland
Belmares CD and the 2003 White
Party Compilation.
Gioia, thrilled about her return to
the spotlight, has been working on
songs for her much-anticipated full-
length album and is now making
the music her soul has been singing
for years. Her current project,
which is a remake of Kenny
Loggin's “This Is It,” produced by
Annie Monterrey and Erik Nunez in
Miami, is already igniting dance
floors and receiving praise from
Billboard reporters around the
country. This “groovy” cover track
is sure to please the club crowd as
well as the Top 40 Pop and Adult
Contemporary market.
Her current release, “From The
Inside” (Junior Vasquez remix) will
be featured on the Showtime televi-
sion series “Queer As Folk” in April
2003 as well as being on the “Queer
As Folk III” soundtrack. With her
magnificent solo arrival, Gioia is
now claiming her destiny and
ascending to the top of the music
scene.
Miss Ebony Pearl is a name
well known in the Hartford
community. ‘Pearl’ has
been doing drag shows since the late
1980's. She is know for rasing money
for local non profits, doing benefit
shows for CT universities and perform-
ing in clubs throughout Connecticut.
Her quick tongue, and one liners
make her a riot at parties and when
hosting events. Pearl is one of the few
drag entertainers that can take a jab,
and give it right back.
Pearl’s lip sync's to favorites like Tina
Turner, Debra Cox, Martha Walsh, and
best known for the Donna Summer
mixes. If Pearl is hosting an event..it's
sure to be an "event" and worth check-
ing out, at leats for a few laughs.
Pearl said in a recent interview ... “I
was floored when I was asked to
Emcee the 2007 event for Hartford
Pride. This is by far the biggest honor
for me. I love the mic and love a fun
crowd, and being on stage for such a
fun event is more than I could ever
dream of. i look forward to it, and hope
all who attend have a great time, enjoy
themselves, but not forget why we are
all here. Its PRIDE and that means
equality and remembrance”
TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee • June 30, 2007 • 3
Gioia headlines CT Pride 2007
Connecticut Pride announces famous music artist, Gioia as headliner for 2007.
Submitted by: CT Pride
Hostess Miss Ebony PearlSubmitted by: CT Pride
MISS EBONY PEARL
Photo provided by CT Pride
Photo provided by CT Pride.
4 • June 30, 2007 • TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee
Vo c a l i s t ,
l y r i c i s t ,
p i a n i s t ,
BMI composer,
producer, and
International radio
sensation. Meet the
music artist,
Charlie. Creating
smooth soulful
songs that capture
the human experi-
ence, Charlie fuses
his natural affinity
to R&B with soul,
blues, Hip Hop and
Middle Eastern fla-
vors. The musician,
is originally from
Fairfield,Connecticut. Charlie grew
up with a diverse musical soundscape
including: Mariah Carey, Nina
Simone, Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder,
Prince, Madonna, George Michael,
and traditional Greek and Arab
Gypsy music. Charlie is a graduate of
Bennington College's Music depart-
ment where he studied with
Tom Bogdan, Kitty Brazelton, and
Bruce Williamson. Since it's release
in March 2006, Charlie's debut album
has had three
chart topping
radio hits.
“Don't Ever
Stop,” the cd's
first single will
appear in the
upcoming film
"A
Four Letter
Word,” which
premiered in
May of 2007 at
the Miami LGBT
Film Festival.
The debut
album contains
ten tracks written
and arranged by
Charlie with
co-production by Grammy Award
winning producer, Tommy Faragher.
It has been described in reviews as:
“a smooth ride of jazzy r&b with
catchy hooks and bluesy ballads.”
Currently in the recording studio
working on his sophomore
record, Charlie has enrolled rap-
per/producer extradonaire, XV of
Kingzmen Productions for his new
single "On The Low", which has been
dubbed the pride anthem of 2007!!
Arlene Wow singer/songwriter/performer
www.arlenewow.com
Arlene Wow is a natural
performer with signature
vocals. Born and raised
in Connecticut, Arlene has per-
formed with many local groups
such as Milk, The Unexpected,
Vertigo and Little Queen"The
Ultimate Heart Tribute". She has
released a CD with Milk as well
with The Unexpected. For the last
several years, Arlene has been a
solo artist and performs at many
area clubs. Currently, she is work-
ing on an original full length CD
which is slated for release March
2007. Arlene Wow is also featured
on the new compilation CD “10 of
NorthEast’s Finest Breaking
Through” now available at
www.tascds.com
TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee • June 30, 2007 • 5
Trai la Trash may be known
for her big hair and her over
the top style, but it's her tal-
ent and charisma that steals the show.
Trai la has graced the cabaret circuit
with her solo shows' like "So Over
The Rainbow" at NYC Duplex
Cabaret. She appeared in HBO's
Angles in America with Meryl Streep
and Emma Thompson. Her role in the
revival of Mae West's "The Pleasure
Man" drew mention in New York and
Out Magazine. She has shared the
spotlight with the amazing talent of
"Dream Girl" Jennifer Holiday,
Deborah Cox and Martha Wash.
Worked with celebrities Liev
Schriber and “Golden Girl” Rue
McClanahan and painted the town
with television and Broadway Star
Delta Burke and interviewed Janice
Dickenson, in front of a crowd of
adoring fans, at her latest book
release party. Trai la performed and
was Emcee for CT Pride in 2005, and
worked with recording artist and club
diva Amber. Trai la is currently tour-
ing with her one woman show "Razor
Blades of Love" a cabaret show about
the ups and downs of a Drag Queens
love life.
We are delighted to bring back the
very talented Trai la for CT Pride
2007.
Trai la Trash performs atConnecticut Pride 2007Submitted by: CT Pride
Connecticut Pride welcomes back Trai la Trash to this year’s Pride festivities, 2007.
Photo provided by CT PrideCT’s own, Arlene Wow
Charlie’s “On the Low” dubbedas CT Pride’s anthem
CONNECTICUT PERFORMER ARLENE WOW
Submitted by CT Pride
MUSIC ARTIST CHARLIE
Submitted by CT Pride
Photo provided by CT Pride
Photo provided by CT Pride
6 • June 30, 2007 • TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee
TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiidd ee • June 30, 2007 • 7
Your LGBTQ News Source in Western MA, Southern VT, and Northern CT
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Written by: Stewie Griffin
Pride is every day, not just one
day a year. We sometimes
seem to loose sight of the fact
that there is more to Gay
Pride than just the "big
party."
Its more than
just local
bands, big
n a m e d
headliners,
f u n n y
e m c e e ' s ,
lots of
food, ven-
dors, and
merchan t s
selling prod-
ucts.
There is often
laughter and tears.
Laughter for the come-
dian's, tears for the stories
about gay bashing, protesters, and
violence. It's a time for youth to come
out, parents to get educated, family's
to accept. Pride is not a carnival, its
a day to think about who you are,
where you came from, and the direc-
tion you are going.
When you are walking
around the park seeing
old friends, enjoy-
ing food and
entertainment,
r e m e m b e r
all those
that fought
hard to
get us we
are.
We are
b l e s s e d
not have
the protests
that often
hinder and can-
cel all gay pride
activity in other
countries.
Let's stop the hate and use that ener-
gy to fight for one thing ... EQUALI-
TY. Happy Pride Everyone!
Pride! When is Pride?
The Rainbow Times & In News WeeklyAre The Official Media Sponsors
For Hartford Pride
A special thanks to all
www.therainbowtimesmass.com • 413-204-8959
8 • June 30, 2007 • TThhee RRaaiinnbbooww TT iimmeess ’’ CCTT PPrriiddee GGuuiiddee
