Thank you to Grace Jones for staging a comeback that remains true to her original fierceness rather than one that attempts to compete with other young acts. Her new album, “Hurricane,” has the same brash (“William’s Blood”), kind of scary (“Corporate Cannibal”), definitely thrilling (the album title track), go-to-hell creativity (“Sunset Sunrise”) as the classics (enter your favorite here) that made her famous and influenced a host of other divas who followed. In honor of her return, we list our favorite Grace Jones moments of all time (from personal memory that is).

1) Grace Jones + Jean Paul Goude = A one man show at Drury Lane Theater, London
Growing up, I associated Grace with “Boomerang” (see point 2) and family cookout DJ’s playing “Pull Up to My Bumper.” It wasn’t until I saw a tape of this performance at a dinner party that I began to realize her place in the art and fashion world as a true force. Who else can wear a rock a monkey suit and make it look forward?



2) Grace Jones + Eddie Murphy = Strangé, Strangé, “Boomerang”
Simply for showing the world that she of the sharp high top fade, even sharper cheekbones, intense eye makeup, and severe stares, has a sense of humor—and a hilarious one at that. Grace nearly stole the film from Eddie Murphy. Who can forget Strangé?



3) Grace Jones + Joan Rivers = the precursor to real women candid talk
I vividly remember sitting on the living room floor and playing with my sister after school as my mother watched this episode and wondering what artificial insemination meant. Before the ladies of “The View” began engaging in candid conversation each week, Grace and Joan talked about everything from artificial insemination to baby’s fathers to thrift store shopping.

Posted: November 17th, 2008  Category: Sounds  Comments: No comments#