House music’s Barbara Tucker on legacy, longevity, and why queers crown her mother and queen of house…
By Elio Iannacci
Photos by Benjy Bradshaw
Hair, makeup and styling by Barbara Tucker
While it’s impossible to definitively crown a single Queen of House Music, 58-year-old Barbara Tucker is undeniably a finalist – a major contender, a true frontrunner for the title. For more than four decades, she’s brought a surge of spirituality to LGBTQ+ dance floors with anthems like “Beautiful People,” “I Get Lifted,” and “Stop Playing With My Mind.”
Those three tracks – and the multiple number one Billboard Dance hits she’s released over the years – aren’t just club bangers. They’re sonic sermons, rising above the “leave your politics at the door and party” ethos of the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. Tucker’s catalogue is packed with motivational lyrics and uplifting melodies that recharge anyone who’s been through the wringer.
Her voice? Unmistakably church. Thoroughly unique. But in flashes, her gospel-fired power evokes the spirit of Mahalia and Aretha, the glamour of Donna and Gloria – all in one electrifying swoop.
Weeks before headlining Prism’s La Maison de La Leche event at Toronto Pride on June 27 and releasing her first book, Music Industry 101: Class Is In Session, Tucker sat down with IN Magazine to talk about her history in house music, her transcendental repertoire, and how she’s learned to lift up the LGBTQ+ community – and herself – through life’s toughest moments.
One of your greatest songs, ‘Stop Playing With My Mind,’ has been played in clubs for over two decades. Why do you think that line – ‘you have to love me or leave me’ – still hits?
That song was actually created as a joke between me and Duane Harden. He wrote ‘You Don’t Even Know Me,’ and we were throwing shade in the studio. ‘Stop Playing’ was based on a straight woman falling in love with a gay man. We built a dialogue – lines like ‘You should’ve known the coffee before you took the cream.’ It’s a sexual statement, but it’s emotional too. I think a double or triple meaning goes a long way.
When you sing it, it sounds almost like motherly advice. Do you feel that?
Oh yes. They call me Mother and Queen – and I receive that with love. What hurts is when people write about the music but don’t even mention your name, even though you’re the voice and the writer. So when someone honours me like that, I’m deeply thankful. If what I give feels motherly, spiritual or queen, then I’ve done my job.
Another one of your tracks experiencing a resurgence in clubs is ‘Oh Life.’ Its lyrics, ‘Don’t give up. We can handle it,’ resonate deeply today. Do you practise what you preach?
Oh yes, I take my own advice. When I sing, I’m speaking to you and to my own peace of mind. I’m prophesying to myself, thinking, ‘Girl, life won’t always be this way,’ because I believe this world we are in is momentary. Angels come in all forms and sounds to protect us, but those who wish to divide us, harm us, are not part of my vision. I won’t use anger to make art.
Many beloved queer icons, from Barbra Streisand to Lady Gaga, channel rage as a motivator. Is it challenging for you to do the same?
I intentionally work on a higher vibration. I’ve reached for my higher chakras because I know when I start saying things like, ‘They’re evil. They’re racist. They have so much prejudice. They hate us,’ I am speaking in hate too. You don’t want to mirror whatever you’re fighting against. What you fight, you ignite. It might not work for the whole world, but I focus on healing so I can project love around you and me. When I keep expressing and exuding love, people keep coming around me.
I’ve been speaking with artists who are creating to self-govern outside of the current political atmosphere. Do you feel your work is an act of self-governance?
I see certain groups acting as puppet masters, laughing at the people, and I need to cut that out of my life. I just hope that this music reminds people that we are united.
What motivates you today?
I don’t rely on the government or politics to uplift me. I continue creating music because, as the O’Jays would say, there’s a message in the music. I might not be on a pulpit as a preacher, but I will be on a stage with a song that’s going to bring forth a gift.
Can you share memorable experiences from the gay clubs you frequented?
I used to dance with a group called Internal Combustion. My choreographer was a drag queen. We would go to Manhattan’s West Side to see him perform. I once saw a drag queen group impersonating me and my old group, Harlequin 4, because we had a hit with ‘Set It Off.’ I’ve always been drawn to drag queen shows throughout my career, performing alongside Deee-lite and later with Lady Bunny, who booked me every year to perform at Wigstock.
What advantage did performing at Wigstock give you?
It was an education. You can’t beat your face until you’ve learned from a drag queen how to beat it. I learned that. I learned how to bring comedy to the stage and have fun with my show. Many singers just sing and dance, but they don’t take the time to say something cute or inspirational. I’ve seen the wit and the glamour that some of New York’s best drag performers have, and it was like school. Also, I learned about smart footwear, honey. I looked at the drag queens, and they’ve always had on pumps or platforms. I used to wear heels; now I wear platforms to this day.
Which designers do you feel epitomize the glamour you bring to the stage?
I follow no designer. I’m feeling the kimono styles, even off-the-shoulder ones. If I’m wearing unitard pieces, there’s always some type of ruching material. I have some rules: I can’t have too much of my butt showing. There’s always a sense of ladyness to what I do. I’m forever inspired by Natalie Wood in ‘Gypsy’; her classy stripper look was fantastic, especially when she had the long dress that she could velcro off for a reveal. Artists like Josephine Baker and Ann-Margret fuel me. They gave you mystery, and you always wanted more. I don’t want to be tacky.
You once said, ‘Diva energy is a sustaining power.’ What did you mean by that?
The word ‘diva’ comes from divinity. It’s a spiritual thing. It’s an anointed title that draws the masses to you. I’m talking about commanding your presence when you walk into a room and people do a double take. There are fake divas – those who call themselves divas are fake. When they say, ‘I’m this. I’m the one,’ I say, ‘No, honey – you don’t even have to say it. Nobody has to tell you.’
What inspired you to write ‘We Can Heal’?
My spiritual studies helped me write that song. It lets us know that we’re only one race. We’re not the Black race, the white race, the gay race. We’re one. You just like rice, and I like spaghetti, but we can eat at one table. I just want people to stop treating others like they’re aliens.
I interviewed the late Kim English when I first started writing about music, and she told me she was struggling to balance her church’s views with her ties to the LGBTQ+ community. Is it the same for you?
Of course not. I go to a prophetic ministry. We know everyone has a free life; it’s a space where five other people can be gay next to you while you are praising God. We’re not condemning people or sending anyone to hell. Look, religion is man-made. That’s why I am not religious, but I still serve God. My God is not worried about who’s in my bed.
You wrote a book – Music Industry 101: Class Is In Session. Why was that important for you?
Because if you don’t tell your story, someone else will. I’ve done off-Broadway, clubs, concerts all over the world. But I didn’t have a map. I had to create a future I didn’t see. That’s why I wrote a rulebook. One Sunday in church, one of the prophetesses told me, ‘You’re like the Harriet Tubman of house music.’ That stuck with me. I want to help others make it through.
Did you know ‘I Get Lifted’ would be as impactful as it became?
Immediately. But it wasn’t just about the song – it was the journey. God let me link with legends like Cerrone, Guetta, Louie Vega…but I had to go through the trenches first. The scars gave me power. So when it was time to deliver, I had the experience to lift people up.
Who do you listen to when you need lifting?
Le’Andria Johnson. She sings from pain. Her song ‘Deliver Me’ – whew. That one ministers directly to your soul. When you get the chance, listen to it. You’ll feel every word.
You’ve performed ‘Beautiful People’ countless times, but it never feels tired. Why?
Because I’m not just singing to you or me – I’m seeing the world’s pain when I’m up on stage. That song is my assignment. I want to hold people with my voice. There’s too much evil out there. I’m not here just to sing about a party – I’m here to touch, move and give hope. When I sing ‘I Get Lifted,’ it’s not just about me. We’re all getting lifted.
‘Beautiful People’ keeps on getting rebirthed and remixed. Why do you think it has lived so many lives?
Because I feel like I have as well. The song is universal, and I’ve been in this game for 40 years. I’m putting a new version out soon through my label. India and Lem Springsteen – who wrote the original – gave me the freedom to add my voice, those ad-libs like ‘deep, deep inside’ and ‘all we need is love.’ Then Louie Vega added his blessings. People don’t know how much it evolved through the years and all the beautiful people who are part of ‘Beautiful People.’ I mean, at one point, we’d bring an all-star choir of nine background singers to New York clubs on the regular. It was pure church.
What’s your definition of a beautiful person?
It has nothing to do with an outside look or external beauty because we all wear a costume. It’s your heart and it’s your actions that make you beautiful. What you’re feeling inside manifests true beauty.
ELIO IANNACCI is an award-winning arts reporter and graduate student at York University whose research interests include ethnomusicology and gender studies. He has contributed to more than 80 publications worldwide, profiling icons such as Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé. His academic work is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
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