While the soulful, magnificently beehived songstress Dusty Springfield never openly called herself a lesbian, in 1970 she stated, “Know I'm perfectly as capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy. More and more people feel that way and I don't see why I shouldn't.”–which was a bold and daring statement at that time.

Both her privately rumored love affairs with women and her flamboyant personality have made her an unparalled gay icon, whether she wanted to be or not. Always a complex woman, she gained a reputation of being an often difficult perfectionist (she once said “I wouldn't know how to handle serenity if somebody handed it to me on a plate.“). She suffered from serious problems with depression and substance abuse but was also known as a complete sweetheart, a cat lover, and a fun-loving, larger than life personality who enjoyed food fights and her fans.

I adore her, her style, her voice, and her amazing career that includes the classic album Dusty in Memphis. Soon fans Nicole Kidman and Kristin Chenoweth will both be starring in movie versions of her life. Michael Cunningham (The Hours) will be penning the Kidman/Oscar grabbier of the two; both are in pre-production.