Entertainment :: Music
Aural Pleasure :: Porn Fave Colton Ford Drops His Debut Album by Scott Kearnan
EDGE ContributorThursday Feb 21, 2008Here’s a word of advice for lovesick Romeos: if you’re hoping Cupid’s arrow will hit the studly physique of Colton Ford, listen to your mom’s wise advice (including the one about "clean underwear") and just be yourself.
"[I like] a man who can be vulnerable, share his insecurities, be in the moment and be very honest and authentic," says Ford about his perfect Valentine. "That speaks to me more than anything. That’s a really, really hot quality."
Showing your soft side may not seem the obvious approach in landing one of the gay porn industry’s marquee names.
Indeed, given his past history, even the title of Colton Ford’s latest release, "Tug of War," might lead some fans to jump to conclusions about the nature of the work.
Is it military porn, starring Ford as the hunky drill sergeant? Nope.
Perhaps it’s a punnily-titled solo video? Wrong again.
Maybe it’s a kinky fetish flick about schoolyard games? No, and there’s no sequel about "Red Rover" either, you creep.
Get your mind out of the gutter, because this release requires Ford fans to use a different part of their anatomy: their ears. "Tug of War" is the name of the ex-porn star’s new album, a collection of dance, house and R&B-style songs that may take some of his fans by surprise.
"It’s about the fight for the ability to be who I am, and to express myself in the way that I truly feel," says Ford about the real, less salacious meaning behind the album’s title.
"It’s also about the fight for our [gay] community to be represented in the mainstream and be more visible. I’m definitely happy to participate in that," he adds.
Ford seems an unlikely ambassador to bring gay sensibilities to the mainstream; Ma and Pa Kettle might not relate to one of the gay world’s legendary, beloved and ... ahem, gifted former porn stars. Sure, Ellen Degeneres made a few movies, too, but you won’t find "Mr. Wrong" and "Gang Bang Café" cohabitating on the same Netflix account.
Still, Ford’s prolific output belies his short stint in the adult film industry: "I’ve sung professionally for 25 years; I did porn for 10 months," says Ford, who blasted his way (sometimes literally) through a small handful of skin flicks in 2002. "I wasn’t into the whole starving artist thing," he says. "It was a means to an end."
On the contrary, Ford--now in his early 40s--has been dedicated to music since he was a teenager. R&B/Soul singers like Stevie Wonder, Rufus, Chaka Khan and Sarah Vaughan were his earliest influences, and inspired him to begin his own search for the spotlight.
"People are responding to the music because the music stands on its own. It’s not an afterthought of porn or a novelty of porn." "I remember my mother talking to my drama coach [in high school]," says Ford. "She thought I was going to go into science, because academically I excelled at math and science. My drama coach said, ’you know? He can do that, but he’s never really going to be happy unless he’s out there performing.’"
Granted, it’s unlikely either adult foresaw the eventual nature of those performances. However, Ford was met with early success, with some intermittent setbacks, even when showing off the purely musical side of his oral talent.
In the early ’90s, Ford was selected by legendary DJ/producer Frankie Knuckles to provide the vocals for his hotly anticipated, upcoming album. All seemed well, until the record label balked at using a male singer... and replaced the dude with Adeva.
Then Ford began work on his first solo album, collaborating with Grammy-nominated songwriter Denise Rich (who has penned songs for everyone from Patti Labelle to Celine Dion to Mandy Moore). The album was shelved, but Ford brings things full circle by using one song from those recording sessions - "Love is Everything" - as the closing track on "Tug of War."
"Everything has come full circle," says Ford, who says it was definitely "the right time," to ditch his adult film roles and continue concentrating on his musical passion. (Of course, never one to be camera shy, he documented career change in the 2004 movie "Naked Fame.")
He’s already released a string of club hits, including covers of Stevie Wonder’s "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," (with famed diva Pepper Mashay, it hit the Top 10 dance chart) and Alicia Keyes "No One." His latest single, "That’s Me," is an assertive ode to independence that looks bound for more dance floor success.
"There’s a great population out there that is able to see me as multifaceted," says Ford. "People are responding to the music because the music stands on its own. It’s not an afterthought of porn or a novelty of porn."
But don’t get him wrong: Ford has "no regrets" about his film work. In fact, he think it prepared him for the scrutiny that comes with the music business.
"You learn how to let go," says Ford of what he learned in the porn world. "I remember being in my 20s, doing acting workshops... trying to find the perfect [camera] shot and obsessing over it," he says. "But then you get in a situation where you go in, you’re shot from all these different angles, completely naked, doing your thing and you have to let go. You have no control over the images they use or how it’s pieced together."
Ford continues, "I learned very quickly that if they get a good butthole shot, they’re going to put it in there whether or not you have a double chin because your legs are behind your ears."
Besides the life lesson, there were a few other perks to his time in front of the camera: "It was liberating," says Ford. "It’s not something I felt defined by, it was an adventure. A lot of people fantasize about it, but I can walk away saying that I had a unique adventure."
And with his new album, that adventure is just getting started.
Colton Ford’s "Tug of War" is available now. For more info, visit www.coltonfordmusic.com
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