“You don’t own me”: How Dusty Springfield changed the shape of the 1960s
“You don’t own me”, sang Dusty Springfield on her debut solo album, A Girl Called Dusty. Although John Madara and David White had originally penned that song, nobody meant it quite like Springfield. The peroxide-blonde vocalist became one of Britain’s defining voices throughout the pop explosion of the 1960s, but the iron fist of the music industry never swayed her. Throughout it all, Springfield – real name Mary O’Brien – stayed true to herself, repeatedly refusing to change herself or bow down to commercial pressures.
Springfield got her start in music as a group performer, singing alongside The Lana Sisters – none of whom were actually sisters – before forming The Springfields along with her older brother. Even within the earliest releases of The Springfields, it was clear that Dusty was the star of the show. It did not come as a huge surprise, therefore, when she commenced a solo career. With her incredibly prolific and distinctive vocal talents, a strong image, and the defiant attitude to match, Dusty Springfield provided the shakeup that the 1960s so desperately needed.
When A Girl Called Dusty first hit the shelves in 1964, the position of women in rock and pop music was virtually non-existent. Aside from a few notable outliers, the music industry of the 1960s was seen as an exclusively male affair, with women often reduced to simply being the muses or romantic partners of male rock stars. With the release of her first solo material, however, Springfield firmly established herself as a revolutionary musician in her own right, away from the shackles of male influence.
Adding to this, Springfield was consistently outspoken in interviews and television appearances. Often, the singer would appear innocent while simultaneously undermining the misogynistic attitudes that were rife at the time. Perhaps most famously, the vocalist also took an incredible stand for the LGBTQ+ community when such topics were still taboo in the United Kingdom. “I know that I’m as perfectly capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy. More and more people feel that way, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t,” Springfield derisively said during a 1970 interview.
The above quote contributed to the demise of Springfield’s career as a blue-eyed soul star, but her unapologetic stance on issues of gender and sexuality cemented her position as an icon of the era. Her outspoken nature also provided a sense of comfort for thousands of people who were living with the societal shame of being part of the LGBTQ+ community, much like she provided hope to young women and girls everywhere that, if they wanted, they could become music stars too.
Thankfully, Springfield was eventually recognised for these vital influences years later, once society had caught up to her pioneering attitudes. However, her role in shaping the music scene of the 1960s should not be forgotten. Springfield helped to tear down barriers imposed by gender, sexuality, and background, blazing a trail that hundreds of future artists would follow.
On top of that, she helped to introduce the sweet sounds of soul music to UK shores, recording a variety of groundbreaking hits that paved the way for other soul singers to amass audiences across the nation.
The music industry had never witnessed a figure like Dusty Springfield prior to the 1960s, and perhaps it hasn’t since. Her musical material was incredible, and many of those early records still stand out as highlights of the era, owing largely to the timeless quality of her voice. However, it was the singer’s personality and attitude that made her a figure of such vital importance; she should certainly not be forgotten for the brave stance she maintained on issues of sexuality and gender.
