XTRA Magazine, July 31, 1997. No 333
COVER STORY:
Public animus Number One
He's black, gay & irrepressibly sexy - Story by Daniel Paquette, Photo by Michele Doncaster

Shirtless construction worker, Sunshine Boy, nude appearances on film, fondling Keanu Reeves... No, this isn't a cheesy story about the latest gay-for-pay porn actor. It's about the true exploits of a rising star.
Victor Crowl is a local renaissance queer. He's an actor, lecturer, film director and singer. His second CD, The Healing, released this year by Trend Music, has spawned three videos. All of which play on MuchMusic - a rarity for a new artist, especially a gay artist. He is headlining free gigs Sat, Aug 2 to 4 at the annual Festival Latino American at Christie Pitts. And this fall, he releases a remix album called The Healing Grooves.
His sound is a fusion of R&B, dance and pop - African drums collide with distorted feedback from electric guitars and crying classical violins.
With platinum-selling Ashley MacIssac cornering the market, is the domestic record industry ready for another Cancon artist, especially an R&B pop singer?
"Record companies are finally starting to call," says Crowl. "But where were they a few months back before I invested thousands of dollars in promotion and videos?"
Crowl says that The Second Healing cost him $30 000. "I've saved five years and worked three jobs in order to have a high quality production, including hiring producer Nick Bellagonna (the BeeGees and The Police) and to be able to release it independently."
Major labels in Canada have only just signed a second hip hop band, and only recently have they started up "urban" departments. "All other black artists have had to leave the country to get a deal, including The Dream Warriors and Maestro Fresh Wes," says Crowl.
"Canadians are doing well internationally, but they are all white. And there are virtually no urban or black radio stations here. A&R [artist and repertoire] reps have told me that they didn't grow up on this music, so they don't know what to do with it."
Crowl isn't bitter, though, he's fighting - educating himself about every facet of the industry, directing and producing his own music videos and starting his own company, called Smile Music and Film Creative Centre.
"I thought my job was to be a singer and songwriter and then realized there were a lot of crooked people in the business - lawyers trying to steal songs from me and record and publishing companies all fighting over money that didn't exist yet, so I walked away from all of it and decided to learn as much as I could."
In 10 years, Smile Music has evolved into a production company and school that holds weekly seminars. Crowl is also on the board at Charles Street Video and is a former board member of the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto.
In the last couple of years, Crowl has been busy on film projects. He produced a flick called Teammates, about a screwed-up talk show host; he wrote, directed and starred in How Long, a film to be released next year about the struggle of being a bisexual crossdresser; and Many Seasons, a musical about two male prostitutes falling in love and coming out.
Crowl has also starred in music videos, including posing nude for Jane Siberry's award winning short film, An Angel's Step Down, made for the 1993 release When I was a Boy. Siberry first noticed Crowl when he was working in construction, shirtless. To be sure, he'd be had to miss.
Crowl is no shrinking violet. Crowl is a sexy, irrepressible bundle of energy - his smile demands attention. He once chased down Keanu Reeves on the street to talk about music and film - and squeeze the delicious Reeves flesh. He forced his way onto the pages of the Toronto Sun by posing as a Sunshine Boy (check out the April 6 issue of the Sun). And he often glad-handles the public, giving free CD's to curious passers-by during a public photo shoot, for example.
But a stoic philosophy underlines his exuberance.
"I would tell anybody who wants to be a success in any aspect of the entertainment business to be prepared and be patient because it takes 10 years for an overnight success to occur. And success occurs when preparation and hard work meet opportunity and luck."