Episode 19 — Cidny Bullens

Cidny Bullens is not just a rock’n’roll lifer — he’s a survivor. He toured with Elton John and Bob Dylan and was nominated for two Grammys for his own solo work. If you’ve listened to the Grease soundtrack, you’ve probably heard him — but this is all before he transitioned.

Cid’s been through quite a bit as well, and not just a rock and roll lifer, but also a survivor. And his recent memoir, TransElectric, Cidny talks about his journey from growing up in rural Massachusetts to New York to LA back to New York… and eventually Portland, Maine, and all the obstacles along the way: flying high In the music scene to his lows with struggling with addiction and losing his daughter and being in the closet as a trans person in the sixties and seventies without even really knowing what that meant or what the possibilities could be.

Cidny complemented the memoir with Little Pieces and put it out in 2020. So you can guess what happened there. That’s why Kill Rock Stars signed Cidny and reissued the album earlier this month.

In this interview, Cindy and I talk about his life, intergenerational LGBTQ+ work, recording Little Pieces, and what’s next for him.

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Track Listing

  • Cidny Bullens, “Little Pieces” (3:50)
  • Cidny Bullens, “Purgatory Road” (12:07)
  • Cidny Bullens, “The Gender Line” (25:36)
  • Mya Byrne, “Please Call Me Darling” (55:52)
  • Cidny Bullens, “Call Me By My Name” (1:00:00)