Pride Weekend was off to a roaring start at Pier 45 at Hudson River Park on Friday, June 28, as none other than Randy Jones, the original Village People Cowboy, and The Bad Judies, New York City’s only all-drag-queen band, were the highlight of “Sunset on the Hudson” Pride Month concert series, which showcased the talents of Gotham’s LGBTQIA+ community throughout June.
The Bad Judies warmed up the crowd of around 1,200, showcasing their singing and instrumental talents, performing songs ranging from contemporary pop to disco classics such as Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and Cher’s “Do You Believe in Love after Love” before headliner Randy Jones took the stage.
Jones, sporting a cowboy hat and boots, opened with a country and pop classic, “Rhinestone Cowboy,” before pumping up the crowd with classics like “In The Navy” and “Go West.”
Of course, the concert’s highlight was the highly anticipated Village People’s anthem, “Y.M.C.A., ” which Jones performed alongside The Bad Juddies.
Concert revelers Eddie Rosenbaum and Dannie Cummings said it was incredible to celebrate Pride with a “historic” figure like Jones.
Cummings studied in Japan and told amNewYork Metro that Japan has its version of “Y.M.C.A.” called “Young Men.”
“It’s just a catchy hopeful song, and I think it inspires a lot of people who are young, hopeful, may not have a lot of resources, but they can kind of muster what in their community and enjoy their lives,” Cummings said.
Rosenbaum commented on the “Y.M.C.A.” video played on two big screens after the show.
“This video stands for so much diversity,” Rosenbaum said. “Growing up, I saw so many different people coming together and just enjoy [“Y.M.C.A.”]. And it’s all based here in New York City, and seeing that is really incredible. And it encapsulates what New York City is about and what we are striving for in the United States.”
Andrew Ronan, vice president of Partnerships, Programming, and Events at Hudson River Park, told amNewYork that Hudson River Park is the go-to place for parade revelers after the NYC Pride March, but this year was the first time the organization hosted an official pride-themed “Sunset on the Hudson” event.
In 1978, the Village People filmed the official “Y.M.C.A.” video in and around the area of what is now Hudson River Park.
“We thought it’d be a great connection to bring the local back and have [Randy Jones] perform once again in the location where he shot the video so many years ago,” Ronan said.”
In an exclusive interview, Randy Jones told amNewYork that he was back in New York City with a “vengeance.”
Jones shared that he moved to New York City in the mid-1970s and lived in a loft on Greenwich Street in Greenwich Village, overlooking the Hudson River and Morton Pier, when the Westside Highway was still an elevated roadway.
“The area is one of those spots in New York City where we shot the promotional film for “Y.M.C.A.” in 1978. Right down on the waterfront, there, with the crumbling piers, near the Ramrod and Badlands and all of the iconic gay spots of the West Village, post Stonewall,” Jones recalled. “It’s kind of full circle for me, for Andrew to think of me and to invite me to perform for Sunset on the Hudson.”
The 72-year-old musician, actor, and author’s career spans almost five decades. He is still touring and recently starred in “American Criminals,” a movie by Aaron Warr set in Chicago in 1924. For Jones, New York City is a constantly evolving city where people come and can reinvent themselves.
“That’s how New York has managed to remain the number one city in the world,” Jones said. “It has never been afraid of change. It has never been afraid of progress. It has never been afraid of reinventing itself.”
Jones said he was one of the “happiest people in the world. His Pride and joy is his son, musician and actor Anthony Broku Cribb, whom he adopted with his husband, Will Grega.
“I get to bring my son and my son Anthony. He has never been to New York. So he is getting the experience of his life,” Jones said.
Jones is still amazed that “Y.M.C.A.” turned into a global phenomenon. Since 1978, the catchy song has transcended and united cultures and generations, forever woven into the fabric of music history. No party, bar mitzvah, wedding, or major sports event would be complete without crowds of people dancing and forming their arms into the shape of the letters Y, M, C, and A.
“I can’t believe it. I wake up every day amazed that when I was 22 years old, I had the good fortune to fall into the company of a couple of producers and some guys that we were put together and wanted to be together and make a group,” Jones said. “Nobody could have predicted at that point in life we would have come up with something that has lasted this long but [also] had the impact not only on pop music but on pop culture, deeper than most of the other songs and popular songs from that era.”
The iconic pop group, comprised of heterosexual and gay members, became ambassadors for the LGBTQ community. With performances on the Caroll Burnett Show or The Merv Griffin Show, the Village People reached an audience of 30 to 50 million viewers during prime time in the late 1970s and early 1980s, changing people’s perceptions of gay people.
“I think we had a decent part in changing people’s point of view, their perspective, and the way they felt about each other,” Jones said. “And that is exactly what we were meant to do. We were meant to be a village. We were meant to be representatives of the community. And we were meant to bring people together, never, ever to be divisive, never, ever to make anyone in our audience feel that they were left out.”
The concert was presented in partnership with Phillips Auction House. Visit Hudson River Park to learn more about the 2024 Summer line-up, which includes fitness classes, live performances, STEM activities, wildlife exploration, and more.
