Arguably, Grace Jones wearing a latex costume or two or some other alt. fashion accessory is probably the least provocative thing the actress, singer, performance artist, fashion maven, model has managed during her career. The trailer for Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, a new documentary film about Miss Jones’ life and career was just released this week and from what’s revealed, we will all be learning quite a bit about the iconic, Miss Jones.
“The performer takes the risk, it’s a lonely place, a fascinating, lonely place,” the lady says at the opening of the trailer. Born in Jamaica, Grace and her family moved to Syracuse, New York when she was thirteen. In college she took a theater arts class, which led to her first forays of acting in a summer stock tour out of Philadelphia. She stayed in that city during one of the formative years of the counter culture revolution of the 60’s, dropped acid (which she claimed had a positive effect on her emotional growth) lived in a commune and worked for a time as a go-go dancer. Back in NYC at the age of 18 Grace signed with The Wilhelmina Modelling Agency.
Moving to Paris at the beginning of the next decade. It was both Grace Jones’ androgynous look as well as her dark skin that landed her runway work with Yves St. Laurent, Claude Montana as well as seeing her appear in Elle and Vogue magazines and work with Helmut Newton, Hans Feurer and a host of others.
In 1974 the lady transitioned her career into music. Signed by Island Records she was put into the studio with disco producer Tom Multon and from here released a score of albums. Influenced by disco, punk, new wave, with her 1981 release “Nightclubbing” “Warm Leatherette” and a cover of The Police’s “Demolition Man,” (for this tune she produced a shocking video that stood MTV on its head at the time) just a few of her hits. Acting in films like “Conan The Destroyer,” “A View To A Kill” and playing a wonderful parody of herself in “Boomerang” gave the incomparable Miss Jones even more visibility. Of late she has appeared on concert stages across the world, solo and for notable causes, maintaining her wild fashion cred and avant-garde air.
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, will be hitting select cinemas on April 13th. See the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya7yeAXU_Cw&t=11s
