Ari Gold (February 11, 1974 – February 14, 2021) was an American pop singer and songwriter. He was openly gay, and regularly addressed being both Jewish and gay. He starred in an autobiographical theater production Ari Gold– Untitled: The Making of a Gay Pop Star.
Early life
Gold was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, in an Orthodox Jewish family. He was discovered while singing at his brother Steven's bar mitzvah at the age of five.
He was awarded top prize alongside Steven and his other brother, future comedian Elon, at the First Annual Jewish Children's Song Festival. Gold landed his first job as a professional singer and actor by performing the lead role on the CBS Children's recording Pot Belly Bear: Song and Stories. The album went platinum, and led to his successful career as a child vocalist. He sang over 400 jingles, and provided various voices for Cabbage Patch Kids and cult favorite Jem. He also provided vocals for the song "A Father Should Be..." by Starlight Girl Ba Nee, which appeared in the episodes The Jem Jam Part 1, and the final episode A Father Should Be.... He also performed back-up vocals for Diana Ross and Cyndi Lauper.
After graduating from the Ramaz School in Manhattan, Gold studied at Yale University. He then transferred to New York University, where he would receive his Bachelor of Arts.
Musical career
1996–2002
Gold began performing original music at Joe's Pub, Fez, China Club, Barracuda, Metronome, Avalon, Pyramid Club, Splash, Bar d'O, Starlight, and CBGB's. He recorded the material for his self-titled 2001 debut album, Ari Gold, in which Gold uses male pronouns, and shows men being affectionate with one another in his music videos. The album won gold at the 2002 Outmusic Award for Outstanding Debut Recording. Later that year, Gold was named one of Genre Magazine's "Men We Love".
His debut also caught the attention of songwriter Desmond Child. Their first collaboration "I'm All About You" (Island Universal) was on the Top 20 UK singles charts, and a Top 10 dance hit. The song was co-written and produced with UK garage musicians DJ Luck & MC Neat.
2003–2005: Space Under Sun
In 2003, Grammy award-winning producer David Morales remixed "I'll Be Here", which Ari co-wrote with Automagic for Nashom of The Ones ("Flawless") solo project. The song became a Top-10 Billboard dance hit, and was featured on Queer As Folk. In 2003, Gold began recording his second album. In January 2004, Gold's second album Space Under Sun was released on his label GOLD18 Records. It debuted at No. 1 on the Out-voice Charts. The Advocate wrote that his "equal parts of sly, finger-snappin' sass and earthy R&B finesse," created the "crisp...sound of a platinum-selling recording."
The video single "Wave of You" debuted as a DVD extra, and became a mainstay during the launch of Logo TV, included in its list for the best videos of 2005. MetroSource magazine also named Ari "One of the 25 People That Make Us Proud". Gold's appearance in the VH1 special My Coolest Years: In the Closet solidified Gold's status as an emerging gay icon. In 2005, Space Under Sun took home the Out music Award for Outstanding New Recording.
On the Space Under Sun World Tour, Gold opened for RuPaul and Chaka Khan, and headlined clubs and festivals in Europe (France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and Czech Republic). He also toured Canada, and in over 25 cities across the US, including the world's largest stage at the Reno Hilton.
2005: The Remixes
In September 2005, Gold released his first remix album, The Remixes. The album was named the No. 2 Best Independent Release of 2005, according to national magazine The Advocate. The first single, "Love Will Take Over" became a Billboard Dance Chart hit. The "Love Will Take Over" video has been played on HBO Zone, Rock America, and For Promo Only, and claimed the top spot for two weeks in a row on MTV's Logo. In December 2005, Gold released Ari Gold: The Photo-book.