FEATURE:
I Just Know That Something Good is Gonna Happen
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush receives the Editors Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the Palladium, London on 30th November, 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Davidson/Rex/Shutterstock
Kate Bush CBE: Why Is She Not a Dame?
_________
I have written about this before…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush awarded a CBE by The Queen on 10th April, 2013/PHOTO CREDIT: PA Wire/Press Association Images
but I wanted to revisit it because the topic is on my mind. There is no arguing against the fact Kate Bush is a hugely successful artist. In terms of the chart positions of her albums. Her studio albums always get into the top ten in the U.K. Even if her singles are a little less consistent, the fact is that Kate Bush is one of the most consistently successful albums artists ever. Over a period of more than thirty year, Bush has managed to release these acclaimed and different-sounding albums that have endured and inspired people. Bush is talking about the possibility of new music. How she is open to new ideas and wants to move forward. That possibility of an eleventh studio album. Her fanbase has widened over the past few years. Reaching a new generation without releasing any new music. It is quite an achievement. I am going to explore her influence on various groups of people. Something that I have been thinking about is why Bush has not received quite the sort of honours she deserves. I guess one can say that the music industry has rewarded her. She has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She has won awards through the years. In fact, there are few artists who have been acknowledged as consistently as Kate Bush. Think back to the 1970s and 1980s when she was award-nominated. In 2012, Kate Bush won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Pop. That was for 50 Words for Snow. Bush and her son Albert have been nominated in two GRAMMYs categories for Hounds of Love. Her 2023 illustrated vinyl release of Hounds of Love, The Baskerville Edition, has been nominated for Best Recording Package, while The Boxes of Lost at Sea art pieces (also editions of Hounds of Love) have been nominated for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. We all hope that she wins! Of course, Bush will not be attending the ceremony in the U.S. next year. However, there is a strong chance that Bush will be a GRAMMY-winning artist very soon. Bush has not collected five GRAMMY nominations. Her most recent was for The Line, the Cross and the Curve in 1996, which was nominated for Best Music Film. So I guess she has been converted by the industry. Maybe not as garlanded as she should have been, at least awards have come her way!
I am thinking more about other honours. Why has Kate Bush never been made a Dame?! I guess it is an honour many think is insignificant. Many refuse that sort of thing because they do not like the Royal Family or they feel it sends a bad message. It does not mean anything in the grand scheme. That recognition of the highest order. That degree of excellence and significance. In April 2013, Kate Bush was awarded a CBE. It was a long overdue recognition of her services to music. By all accounts, it was an honour that meant a lot to Bush:
“Kate Bush has received her CBE for services to music from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The singer-songwriter, who was catapulted to fame in 1978 when Wuthering Heights topped the charts, said she was "incredibly thrilled".
The 54-year-old dedicated the award to her family and joked that it would have pride of place at the top of her Christmas tree.
She has released 10 studio albums in a career spanning nearly 40 years.
Bush, whose other hits include Running Up That Hill and Babooshka, has won both Brit and Ivor Novello awards.
The artist, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, has also recorded collaborations with some of the most prominent names in music, including Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel and Prince.
'Thrilled'
But she has toured only once, in 1979, and rarely makes public appearances or gives interviews.
She declined to speak directly to journalists who gathered at Windsor Castle for the ceremony, but did release a brief statement.
"I feel incredibly thrilled to receive this honour which I share with my family, friends and fellow musicians and everybody who has been such an important part of it all," she said.
"Now I've got something special to put on top of the Christmas tree."
The first British women ever to win Olympic gold for rowing and their coach have also been honoured at the same ceremony.
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning triumphed in the coxless pairs to win Team GB's first gold medal of the 2012 Olympics, and received MBEs together with trainer Robin Williams.
Peter Charles, who won gold in the team showjumping event at London 2012 and cyclist Dani King, who won gold in the team pursuit event, have also received MBEs”.
I do think there are other music awards and honours Kate Bush should be awarded. However, many people have asked when she will be made a Dame. It will not really add to her legacy or how she is perceived. I feel it is something that is earned. In terms of acknowledging the effect she has had on popular culture. Her charity fundraising is also another factor. She has done a lot for charity right throughout her career. The most recent example is the video for Little Shrew (Snowflake) and how that was designed to help raise funds for War Child. It was not the first time Bush has created awareness for War Child before. She donated a signed turntable for Record Store Day earlier in the year. Inspired by The Ninth Wave from 1985’s Hounds of Love, Bush donated artwork to an auction on behalf of War Child in 1994. David Bowie took a shine to Bush’s artwork. The pieces were reauctioned in 2012. I have also written about how Bush has done so much for charity. I will revisit that at some point. In terms of how her music has affected and impacted people. All of this together makes her worthy of further honour. Whether it is an MBE or she is made a Dame, I think it would be a worthy nod of recognition. From actors to sport stars, so many have been a Dame or Sir. Knighted and bestowed one of the greatest honours you can get. Again, it is a divisive subject. Whether it means anything or whether people should accept them. Kate Bush is more than worthy of such esteem. Given how she has made contributions to charities like War Child and is now this artist resonating with a new generation, will it be her time?! King Charles III has an association with Kate Bush. Though loosely. The first Prince's Trust Rock Gala was held at the Dominion Tottenham Court Road, with Madness, Joan Armatrading, Phil Collins, Kate Bush and Pete Townshend performing. Kate Bush was featured on the official playlist for the coronation of King Charles III, along with other artists such as The Beatles and Madness. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) created the playlist, which was released three months before the coronation. That was last year.
Clearly, Kate Bush is known by King Charles III, so I would not be shocked if Bush was bestowed an honour in the New Year’s Honours List. We are around the time when we will know if Bush is included. On 29th December, 2023, on the same day as the 2022 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours, 2024’s names were announced. You can see the complete list of who was awarded what. It would be amazing for Kate Bush to be included in the 2025 New Years Honours. Technically, the award is Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Last year, Jilly Cooper was made a Dame. I think that Kate Bush’s time is now. Maybe it is more likely a few years down the line, though why not now?! I can see why people would want these sort of great honours to go to people like doctors, nurses, scientists and social workers. How there is this criticism that people are being awarded for ‘doing their jobs’. Many others note how there is this anachronism and lack of diversity. Some issues with the current honours system. Every year, we get articles that note how there should be recognition of people who are unsung who do not get awarded such prestige. That is fair. However, in recent years, there has been more diversification in terms of those who are recognised. Not many artists are knighted or made a Dame. Paul McCartney, Bono, Julie Andrews and Bob Geldof have either been knighted or made a Dame. Charity seems to be a link to many. Will it take a few more years of Bush’s music and benevolence to make her worthy of being a Dame? Many fans feel she is deserving now. Me among them. Others would not care and feel that this is irrelevant or problematic. Bush herself is very comfortable and would definitely be flattered. She is our queen! Someone who deserves the highest honours and tributes. The music industry has done that. No doubt more awards will come. How long will it take before the extraordinary Kate Bush…
IS made a Dame?!