Friday 21 January 2022

From Rock or Doc to Rev.


I'd forgotten what a very good record this was. The Communards version of the Jackson 5 song.

Two man gay band The Communards consisted of little Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles. Somerville (previously with Bronski Beat) is the singer with the high-pitched voice, and Coles is the bespectacled keyboard player. 


After the two parted ways, Coles went on to study theology, and is now The Rev Richard Coles; Vicar and TV personality. He's come a long way since his Communards days. Somerville, I believe, is still singing.

An old friend of mine did something similar. Paul Nener was a brilliant doctor/surgeon. He was part of a team that operated on President Lyndon B Johnson during his presidency. Later he quit medicine to become The Rev Canon Paul Nener. I think he works/ed in the Liverpool area, near to where he had studied medicine alongside my cousin Stephen. They were both very much straight-A students, and both became brilliant Doctors..

I have never understood this desire to change one's profession, whether it be from musician or surgeon, to become a priest. To most of us it is plainly obvious that gods, devils, virgin births, etc, are all 'fairy stories', and for someone to suddenly alter their whole way of life, in order to perpetuate those myths is unimaginable.

However, here were two such examples.


16 comments:

  1. I never knw=ew that was once a Jackson 5 song. I don't understand people suddenly becoming priests either, nor nuns for that matter. If they chose that in the beginning and it's all they ever wanted to do, then fine. But giving up a lifelong profession for that? Seems weird. Like those long term hard core prisoners who have spent more time in prisons than they have outside, then they "find God" and religion is all they talk about. Until their next crime maybe.

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    1. Prisoners 'finding god' is a very common and transparent ruse to present to a parole board. Some believe them; others are more savvy.

      With my old friend Paul, to give-up all the good he could have done as a surgeon in exchange for the church, I find very baffling; and rather anti-social.

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  2. There are some very good people around who follow a religion and believe in the hokus pokus. Those in the higher church hierarchy don't seem to be good examples. Love Sommerville and music of that time.

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    1. I imagine my friend Paul is one such, and I'm sure he gives 'hope' to many. However, I'm sure he would have done far more important things had he remained a surgeon.

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  3. Sometimes the spirit speaks to people. Sometimes we can decide that there's more than this mortal life. One doesn't have to believe in 'fairy stories' for this to happen. I can understand why these two professions may be open to that.

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  4. Is it possible to have gay A students as well as straight A students?

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  5. Not sure why but I googled your old friend. He does indeed work in Liverpool - he is the parish priest of St Agnes and St Pancras. For almost a year back in the 1970s I lived almost opposite that church. Small world.

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    1. Did you meet him? He was always a very nice person.

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  6. There is more to studying theology than what you call "fairy tales". Richard Coles' music was nothing more than an interlude in his early years, like it is with so many youngsters. He certainly has put his studies (and thinking cap) to good use. Look no further than the Wikipedia entry on him.

    As to Paul Nener. Was he as "brilliant" as you claim? Even if: Being good, indeed brilliant at something doesn't mean you like/want to do it. Too many people get trapped in that "Ah, but you are so GOOD at it" and therefore dare not change their lives. What Nener motivated to change his path I don't know. Let's hope it wasn't for nefarious purposes (only joking).

    Anyway, Cro, these days we have "Portfolio Careers". Once a carpenter, not always a carpenter. Let's stretch our horizons.

    U

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    1. I can assure you that if you are selected to operate on a serving US President, you are at the very TOP of your game.

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  7. It will always be a mystery as to what drives people. As long as they are happy, that's all that matters.

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    1. Yes, of course. And I'm sure that both of those mentioned above are.

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  8. Norwich City player Phil Mulryne did the same.

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