EXCLUSIVE: Judy Gold: I am Jewish. I am Gay. I Still Take Piano Lessons

Comedian Judy Gold launches Day 1 of our Jewish LGBTQ series.

By: SL Exclusive
Published: February 29th, 2012 in Culture » Society » Interviews

Judy Gold

Shalom Life is proud to present our first Jewish LGBTQ series. We asked 10 public figures (ranging from comedians and actors to children’s book authors and musicians) to complete the following sentence:

I am Jewish. I am Gay. I am _________________

In the blank space, each participant has placed a personality trait, hobby, profession, descriptive adjective, or an interesting tidbit of information that describes an element of their being. Additionally, they have personally written a paragraph explaining their choice and how that choice defines them.

Religion and sexuality are integral to our self-identification, but they define us just as much as our interests, personality, career choices, philanthropic work, and talents.

Enjoy our series and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Day 1- Judy Gold

I am Jewish. I am Gay. I Still Take Piano Lessons

When I was six years old, I asked my parents to give me piano lessons. My first piano teacher was a woman from our synagogue. In 8th grade, I was chosen to be the accompanist for our class song – Seals & Crofts', "We May Never Pass This Way Again." I still love the song, but I hated grammar school, middle school and especially high school. I was a band nerd in high school - I played clarinet in the marching band, but I still took piano lessons. My sophomore year of college I had to pick my major, and the only thing I truly enjoyed learning about was music, so I became a music major. I thought I would become a music teacher, but I have no patience, I curse a lot, and if I think of something funny, I say it - even at the most inappropriate times, so I think I wouldn't last very long at an academic facility. I became a stand-up comic, but no matter where I lived, I had a piano, and I took piano lessons. When I went on the road, I would bring my music and find a piano to practice during the day. Learning a new piece of music makes me happy in a way nothing else can. I love my piano lessons.

Judy Gold is best known as the star of her two crucially acclaimed long-running Off Broadway hit shows - The Judy Show - My Life As A Sitcom and 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother for which she won The GLAAD Award. Judy won 2 Emmy Awards for writing and producing The Rosie O'Donnell Show. She has had her own comedy specials on HBO, Comedy Central and Logo. She frequently appears on The View, and is a cast member of Tru TV's World's Dumbest. She is the host of Sirius XM's radio show, Hatched By Two Chicks (OUTQ), and is a frequent contributor to The Moth. She has appeared on The Tonight Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Wendy Williams Show, Dr. Oz, to name a few. Gold was also seen in the smash hit film, The Aristocrats.

For more info on Judy, visit www.judygold.com