Among those slated to make special appearances at the Windy City Gay Idol finals—scheduled for Fri., June 13, at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted, at 7 p.m.—is Deb Pearce, who has her own midday show on Toronto's gay radio station, 1039 PROUD FM. The very amiable Pearce, who will host Windy City Queercast with Amy Matheny at the contest, talked with Windy City Times about her show and Chicago.
Windy City Times: Tell me about 1039 PROUD FM.
Deb Pearce: It's the newest station in Toronto. It's been on the air since April 23, 2007, and we launched at 10:39. [ By the way, ] there are no dots or periods—just 1039 PROUD FM.
I had radio experience and I was approached [ although ] I wasn't sure I'd get back into the industry again. [ But ] I thought, 'I've done gay and I've done radio—I'll do 'gaydio!'' So I was given the opportunity to produce my own midday show and I jumped at it—and I've loved it.
WCT: Who's been your most unforgettable interview?
DP: I have to say k.d. lang; I felt like we bonded as friends. I felt like, if we lived in the same city and [ had ] more time together, we'd hang out. … She was in the mood to talk—and I came up with a word for her. I teased it up with the morning show: They asked what was coming up on my show and I said, 'We have a Canadian lesbian in the PROUDFM environment. She's an icon, she's Canadian, she's a lesbian … ' and I came up with the word 'dykon.' As a lesbian and a vegetarian, she was like, 'Oh my God. I'm like a radish.' [ Note: A daikon—which has a similar spelling—is a type of radish. ] She loved it and her manager loved it.
WCT: Any others?
DP: One of my more difficult ones was Debbie Harry of Blondie. She's a rocker, you know? I just felt like she had this New York cool about her—plus, it was very early in the morning, and we know that rock stars don't do early mornings. She gave me all she could, but it wasn't conversational; it was directional and to the point, which was fine. But she was kind; people were clamoring for her autograph and she did not say no to a single soul. She was very professional and sweet; she definitely wasn't snooty.
WCT: So, you're going to be here for the Gay Idol finals?
DP: Yes, and I'm so excited! I already spoke with Amy Matheny; she called to wish me a happy birthday and we talked about how we're going to give the audience special treats.
WCT: Can you give me a clue about these treats?
DP: Let's just say that we are going to keep our clothes on, but the audience might want to get naked.
WCT: Wow. You're quite the marketer.
DP: [ Laughs ] Thank you!
WCT: Now, you've been to Chicago before, right?
DP: No! I've never been there. But I'm looking forward to seeing the water that goes in between all the buildings that I see in all the movies [ set ] in Chicago—those My Best Friend's Wedding moments—and anything to do with [ Oprah Winfrey's production company ] Harpo. I think Chicago is quite comparable to Toronto with it being on the water, and I just love the states. Love them!
WCT: What is the Toronto gay scene like?
DP: It's incredible. We have a huge strip of a couple streets that have gay flags running up and down them. [ There are ] gay bars, gay restaurants, gay stores, gay pharmacies—and, on any night of the week, there's a drag queen on a stage somewhere; there are nightclubs, piano bars, bingo, fundraisers and a community center called the 519 [ Church Street ] Community Centre that specializes in everything GLBTTIQQ, so it's pretty [ amazing ] .
Check out Deb Pearce and the rest of the 1039 PROUD FM gang at www.proudfm.com .
Deb Pearce. Photo courtesy of Pearce