Georgia-born Wayne County first appeared in the New York club scene in the early 1970s though with little success. He dressed in full drag and sang campy, vulgar songs, using a vibrator, a toilet seat – and worse – as props.
Finding the British punk audience more sympathetic he moved briefly to England where he formed a band called Queen Elizabeth before returning to New York and forming Wayne County & The Backstreet Boys in 1976.
Returning to England Wayne then formed Wayne County & The Electric Chairs, signing to Safari and gaining a reputation for basic punk rock with foul-mouthed lyrics designed for maximum shock. He also appeared in Derek Jarman’s film Jubilee (1978).
Greg Van Cook left the band after the self-titled debut album (1978) to be replaced by Henri Padovani.
Follow-up recordings included an EP called Blatantly Offensive (1978), and albums Storm the Gates of Heaven (1978) and Things Your Mother Never Told You (1979).
By 1980, County decided to resolve his sexual anomalies and undertook a number of surgical procedures, performing thereafter as Jayne County, with a completely new band line-up.
Wayne/Jayne County
Vocals Greg Van Cook
Guitar Van Haller
Bass J.J. Johnson
Drums Henri Padovani
Guitar Eliot Michaels
Guitar Peter Jordan
Bass Sammy Minelli
Drums
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