Georgie Jessup

Georgie Jessup
“Woman in a Man's Suit”
Winkte Music/2006
www.georgiejessup.com

Though not born to a Native American tribe singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist Georgie Jessup identifies with the Lakota tribe. More specifically Jessup says, “I am Winkte”; a Lakota word meaning a man who either by choice or in obedience to a dream dresses, acts, and looks like a woman.

Jessup's latest album is titled “Woman in a Man's Suit” and is the fourth release for the Baltimore area resident. A believer that we are all related in the human condition, Jessup challenges his audiences to search deep inside themselves to search their prejudices. Jessup's first album was “American Holocaust”, which paid homage to the plight of Native Americans, was deemed so controversial that it was banned by many radio stations even before it was heard by anyone.

“Woman in a Man's Suit” is a collection of 13 original storytelling type songs in rock, blues, and country styles. Though not preachy some of the songs do take on a religious feel. One thing that does stand out on the album is that the songs are not gender specific; no where does Jessup use a pronoun denoting a gender in the song, only you, we, or some other similar plural pronoun.

The album cover shows Jessup dressed as both a man and a woman; on the album itself Jessup's voice is distinctly male.

While Georgie Jessup may be a controversial figure to many in the mainstream, Jessup may not be opening a lot of doors, but opening minds to the fact that the world today is no longer simply a black and white picture; but in as varied as the rainbow itself and more.