On this day in ’85, the Singing Nun (Marie Jeanine Deckers) took her own life in a suicide pact with her life-partner, Annie Pecher. Her song, the 1963 smash ‘Dominique’, sold over 1.5 million copies, winning a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song. As a kid, I remember Deckers and her 3 fellow nuns appearing on Ed Sullivan… The song was such a cultural phenom that a (mostly fictional) feel-good movie was made of her life with Debbie Reynolds, and Sally Fields’ ‘The Flying Nun’ was definitely influenced by Decker’s popularity. Deckers was a Belgian singer-songwriter and a member of the Dominican Order as Sister Luc Gabriel. An unlikely pop star, she wrote 4 albums of songs - many that were lyrically either ‘approved’ or ‘censored’ by her Mother Superior. She was not allowed to write any songs that were considered ‘sad’ and, of course, any topic that was controversial was forbidden. When she wrote a song in 1967 defending the use of contraception, the Church presurred her touring mngmnt to cancel an entire tour even tho’ she’d left the order by then. Though the royalty agreement between the Church and Deckers was never disclosed, apparently her diocese received her royalties w/o her knowledge… and later, when she left the order, she discovered $100,000. had been paid to the Church unbeknownst to her. To make matters worse, her label, Philips, pretty much took the rest - leaving her financially crippled. Though Deckers never ‘came out’ about her sexuality, she spent most of her life with her lover, Annie Pecher, and struggling with financial ruin, Church condemnation, a faltering career, and repression from society in general… Deckers suffered a mental breakdown. Shortly afterwards, she and Pecher took their own lives in their Belgian apartment. For those who discount the damage religion has done for centuries to gay and lesbian people… to those who are, right now, passing legislation to forbid young people from discussing sexuality or even saying the word, ‘gay’… I say, ‘fuck you’. To those (religious or not) who support with words and deeds the acceptance of the LGBT community… I say, ‘thanks’, and may whatever god you worship bless and keep you. (thanks to Billy)
