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Ari Gold
From Yeshiva boy to Pop Star
He started out as a child. Ari Gold was but five years old when he
first sang in public at his brother's Bar Mitzvah. From there it was
first prize at a Children's Song Festival and the leading role in a CBS
record production of Pot Belly Bear: Songs and Stories. Ari's lead role
spawned two careers that day. Ari became a child star and his father
became a children's talent manager. In the years that follow Ari found
himself juggling a full time career as a child actor and a little
Yeshiva boy. (A Yeshiva is a Jewish school that offers a doule load of
Classes in English and Hebrew.) All during the 80's nearly every time a
child's voice was heard on a TV commercial it was Ari Gold's voice. Ari
said that he lost count somewhere along the way but he figures that he
made somewhere between 400 and 500 commercials. "A lot of adults were
relying on me for their livelihood. That's a lot of pressure for a
kid,: said Ari. Many of Ari's commercials are being rebroadcast on VH1
as a part of "I Love the 80's Strikes Back".
Little Ari has grown up and while he occasionally makes a commercial
Ari has found a more important task singing to the world about being
happy with who you are. "If you can't e happy with yourself, you can't
be happy with anyone else," said Ari. Ari said that he knew from a
young age that he was different. He liked playing Barbie dolls with the
girls. "I have always had a strong sense of who I was," said Ari. And
Ari's music reflects his attitude. "You can't let others define who you
are," he adds. Ari is a gay male. He sings about his life as a gay
male. "He's on My Team" is a song based on a true story about a guy and
a girl who are fighting over the same guy. But Ari believes that his
music is for everyone. "We can all find commonality in our struggles,"
said Ari.
Ari's first CD won Ari Out Music's Outstanding Debut Recording
Award. He has a new CD coming out in January. "Space Under Sun" is
about everyone finding his own space no matter where they may be. The
new CD is dedicated to the children. While Ari acknowledges some of his
lyrics are not appropriate for younger listeners, Ari wanted to
dedicate the CD to all the children who feel different. Ari feels a
strong attachment to children and toys. Ari's music and other
merchandise including a 2004 calendar can be found at Ari's website
www.arigold.com.
As a singer Ari is in the public eye. The exposure has led him to
being a fashion model and doing fashion spreads in magazine. The
exposure has led to something else too Ari the role model. Ari says
that there are not many openly gay singers out there so many gay men
look to the divas. Ari will talk to anyone who will listen. He lets his
music do the talking. Ari doesn't feel he is a gay roll model, but if
that is what he becomes then he will embrace it. "I'm only myself,"
said Ari. Ari feels that the music industry does not support queer
musicians, but with greater visibility gay men should look to
themselves for role models.
Ari stresses honesty in his music and his life. Ari came out at the
end of high school. His honesty made his mother proud and gave Ari
direction as a singer. Raised an Orthodox Jew, Ari stopped observing
when he came out because he felt that the Jewish community didn't
support him as a gay male. However; being a Jew is a big part of Ari's
life so he is still observant with his family. Ari's mother wanted her
son to be a Cantor, but she is proud of her son the singer.
The young Yeshiva boy has grown up, but he has not forgotten who or what he is.
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