Honey Dijon reimagines the sounds of the Stonewall era

The iconic DJ and producer has curated a new jukebox exhibit at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center

WORDS MEGAN WALLACE
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AMAZON MUSIC

Musician Honey Dijon has been tapped to recreate the sounds playing on the jukebox on the night of the Stonewall uprising in 1969.

In collaboration with Amazon Music and Pride Live, the DJ and producer has curated a jukebox exhibit at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. Within a replica of the jukebox which was originally situated within the Stonewall Inn, Honey has compiled a selection of songs which capture the spirit of the era and speak to narratives of rebellion, queer escapism and joy.

(Photo by Fred W. McDarrah/MUUS Collection via Getty Images)

“When I think of Stonewall, I think of liberation, rebellion and owning your own narrative. I hope this curation gives a peek into the soundtrack of an inspiring era and the trailblazers who changed history forever, and the fact that the Visitor Center is the vision of two queer women of colour, makes this project even more meaningful,” Honey explains.

“I wanted to contextualise what queer people experienced during the Stonewall Rebellion: the oppression, but also the hard-fought happiness and freedom,” she adds. “These queer people had the music; and they had each other. These songs are a way for us to better understand their story.”

Honey has grouped her selected tracks into categories such as Stonewall Favourites, Revolution and Our Love and her curation of tracks from the era opens up space to reflect on the lives led by queer folks in 1969. “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, for example, speaks to queer underground resistance whereas rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” encapsulates the joy and escapism on the queer dancefloor.

Honey’s carefully considered selections were obtained with the support of Amazon, who liaised with executives and archivists from Sony Music and ABKCO Records to source the records. The full playlist and a short film on the project are available to stream on Amazon Music.

“The Amazon Music team has conceptualised and actualised a vision for the jukebox exhibit that gave us goosebumps when we first heard the idea,” says Ann Marie Gothard, Chair of the Board of Directors, Pride Live. “We are so grateful to Honey Dijon and the Amazon team for curating such an evocative and stirring playlist that captures the history and spirit of the queer community through music.”

Evoto | Honey Dijon

“We are honoured to serve as founding partners in this incredible, historic project,” said Ashe McGovern, global lead for LGBTQIA+ affairs at Amazon. “The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center worked brilliantly with our entire Amazon team, especially our superstar Amazon Music leads and Honey Dijon, to deliver an experience that transforms this sacred site into a space both for education and joyful connection. This collaboration celebrates the fullness of our humanity and beautifully honours the legacy of our elders who, in fighting for their freedom to exist freely in this and all spaces, catalysed the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement and forever altered the trajectory of global human rights history.”

The Visitor Center opens on Friday, June 28, and entry for the public is free of charge. For more information on hours and the visitor experience, please visit https://stonewallvisitorcenter.org/.

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