There were so many moving performances in the Leonard Cohen movie “I’m Your Man,” it was hard to choose one. But Antony is such a different sort of character and his performance of “If It Be Your Will†was so emotional and beautiful, that he is where I ultimately landed for this entry.
To me Antony has such an unusual sounding voice it rises above most others. Watching him perform you feel as if you are being given entry to a very private moment, a glimpse into the man’s soul, and if you move you might break up the chemistry or you could be asked to leave. He seems to channel his voice from a deep place within. At times he can look uncomfortable and even disturbed, moving his hands back and forth, digging to the place inside himself where his expression lives. But you know what he is touching is very pure and as its essence is revealed his vocal performance comes alive and washes over you.
Antony, whose full name is Antony Hegarty, plays with a group called Antony and the Johnsons. You can also see and hear him in the Lou Reed movie, “Berlin,†Steve Buscemi’s movie “Animal Factory†and several others. He can be heard on the soundtrack to the Dylan inspired movie, “I’m Not There,†as well as many other artistic vehicles.  In 2005 Antony and the Johnsons released the “I Am a Bird Now†LP on the Secretly Canadian label.
To see Antony perform “I’m Your Man,†simply click on the link below or cut and paste it into your browser.
