Attitude’s Icon Award for Outstanding Achievement: Holly Johnson

Relax

hit maker and Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson was unapologetically open about his sexuality during the conservative 80s. After a sold-out solo tour last year, Attitude honours a man who helped pave the way when other pop stars remained deeply closeted. We’re thrilled to give Holly Attitude’s Icon Award for Outstanding Achievement, supported by Sky.

When Holly Johnson began the preparations and rehearsals for his first solo tour in 2014, an astonishing 25 years since his first solo record Blast, he decided to perform at least one track from each of the six albums of his authorship that comprise his brilliant back catalogue. The selections from the two Frankie Goes to Hollywood albums that sent Holly to an unparalleled level of global ubiquity for an out gay man in the mid-80s were easy to cherry pick. There is perhaps no stronger three-song finale to rival his incendiary pummel through sex (Relax), war (Two Tribes) and a particularly devastating romantic optimism (The Power of Love) in the entire pop cannon. To the shift in British gay acceptance, these songs are deeply symbolic. Each night, they brought the house down.

In the new issue of Attitude, Paul Flynn sits down with Holly over Saturday lunch at Soho for an illuminating look back at his life and career to date – and to the road ahead. You can read Flynn’s interview, plus features on all our winners, in our new issue – out to download from 11pm tonight at attitudedigital.co.uk. It’s also in shops tomorrow (Thursday October 15).