Music seems to work in rotations. Starting from the 1970’s we were looking at music being the core focal point. A ‘come as you are’ attitude, a very blue-collar atmosphere that saw musicians look like regular people. When the 1980’s came along, things changed. Now, at this point in time, things were about how someone looked rather than how someone sounded. When the 1990’s rolled around – it was back to a 1970’s approach. We are now seeing music in the 1980’s again in the looks department and Michael Jackson’s former guitarist, Jennifer Batten sees the awful trend happening again that shook her from wanting to stay on a musician’s career path.
Jennifer Batten is very well established. Not only has Jennifer played with the iconic, Michael Jackson (maybe there might be a Paris Jackson feature as well), but she was also able to play with her personal idol, Jeff Beck as well as countless other stars. Her career has been one that many have looked up to, especially women of the music scene. Even though her path has seemed to be very glamourous, she is now speaking out about the sexism that runs rampant through the industry.
Sadly, misogyny is not new in music or to Jennifer as she has been through it all. The industry is different for women as she alludes to in her next thoughts, recalling times where she didn’t feel right.
Jennifer states: “There were two incidents. I was already hired and things were going well. The first time, [Frank DiLeo, Michael Jackson’s manager] goes, ‘Now that you have the gig, I could probably get you a spread in Playboy.’ I was horrified! I thought, ‘What the fu** are you… I’m a guitar player!’ It wasn’t pressure. It’s just something coming from his perspective that he thought was a big deal, because anybody around him just wants to be famous, however it takes to get there, and I was not of that ilk.”
Special thanks to Ultimate Guitar.
