Last year R&B singer Tevin Campbell confirmed one of the worst kept secrets in the music industry, that he's gay [click here if you missed that].
In a new interview Tevin talks about embracing himself and his sexuality...
From People
Coming of age in the heteronormative space of R&B at that time, "I didn't hide anything about me. I didn't try to act a certain way or anything," says Campbell. But also, he notes of that era in the industry, "You just couldn't be [gay] back then."
Partly due to changes at the record label, Campbell and his music got put on the back burner after his third album, released in 1996, didn't perform well. Around the same time, his personal journey began.
"When I came out to my family and friends [at] about 19 or 20, that was it for me. And then I went on the road of discovering myself. I didn't know who I was," says Campbell, who stepped away from the music industry and credits much of his growth to the six years he spent performing in the Broadway musical Hairspray beginning in 2004.
"Being around people who were like me, LGBTQ+ people that were living normal lives and had partners. I had never seen that," he says. "That was a great time in my life."
Despite years of speculation, Campbell has largely kept his private life private. Earlier this year, he responded to a Twitter user's question about famous singers who are rumored to be gay. He simply tweeted "Tevin is…" adding a rainbow emoji.
"It was a casual thing for me," Campbell says of what many took as a coming out statement. In truth, he adds, "I love my fans, but what they think about my sexuality is of no importance to me."
