Diva Divo - Dance Magazine

In 2008 celebrity culture, sex tapes are usually the embarrassing side effect of fame. Notoriety begets personal invasion and (ta-da!) the whole world is soon watching you fondle, fellate, or otherwise flounce with your lover.

But in the case of Colton Ford, adult film star turned dance music Divo, skin flicks don't pose a problem. Hell, they're what earned him the early foundation of a rapidly growing fan base.

"People are responding to the music because the music stands on its own. It's not an afterthought of porn or a novelty of porn," says Ford about his debut album, Tug of War. Buoyed by current single "That's Me," the dance-pop collection is capitalizing on Ford's short but sweet career in the world of gay porn.

"It's the story, it's the hook," admits Ford. And he's got a point: You're reading about him right now, aren't you?

Still, Ford believes that, "there's a great population out there that is able to see me as multifaceted." It might help that Tug of War is a genuinely enjoyable effort, a set of House tunes delivered with an assured hybrid of circuit party cum soul (no pun intended).

Given the titles of his past work (including the hilariously named "Gang Bang Café"), Tug of War might lead some fans to jump to innuendo-laden conclusions about the nature of the work. The truth is far less salacious

"It's about the fight for the ability to be who I am, and to express myself in the way that I truly feel," says Ford about the meaning behind the album's title. "It's also about the fight for our [gay] community to be represented in the mainstream and be more visible. I'm definitely happy to participate in that."

Ford seems an unlikely ambassador to bring gay sensibilities to the mainstream; Ma and Pa Kettle might not relate to one of the gay world's legendary, beloved and – ahem, gifted (with the kind of package that deserves a bow) former porn stars.

Still, Ford's prolific output belies his short stint in the adult film industry: "I've sung professionally for 25 years; I did porn for 10 months," says Ford, who blasted his way (sometimes literally) through a small handful of skin flicks in 2002. "I wasn't into the whole starving artist thing," he says. "It was a means to an end."

On the contrary, Ford – now in his early 40s – has been dedicated to music since he was a teenager. R&B/Soul singers like Stevie Wonder, Rufus, Chaka Khan and Sarah Vaughan were his earliest influences, and inspired him to begin his own search for the spotlight.

"I remember my mother talking to my drama coach [in high school]," says Ford. "She thought I was going to go into science, because academically I excelled at math and science. My drama coach said, ‘you know? He can do that, but he's never really going to be happy unless he's out there performing.'

Granted, it's unlikely either adult foresaw the eventual nature of those performances. However, Ford was met with early success, with some intermittent setbacks, even when showing off the purely musical side of his oral talent

In the early 90s, Ford was selected by legendary DJ/producer Frankie Knuckles to provide the vocals for his hotly anticipated, upcoming album. All seemed well, until the record label balked at using a male singer… and replaced the dude with Adeva.

Then Ford began work on his first solo album, collaborating with Grammy-nominated songwriter Denise Rich (who has penned songs for everyone from Patti Labelle to Celine Dion to Mandy Moore). The album was shelved, but Ford brings things full circle by using one song from those recording sessions - “Love is Everything” – as the closing track on “Tug of War.”

“Everything has come full circle,” says Ford, who says it was definitely “the right time,” to ditch his adult film roles and continue concentrating on his musical passion. (Of course, never one to be camera shy, he documented the career change in the 2004 movie “Naked Fame.”)

He’s already released a string of club hits, including covers of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” (with famed diva Pepper Mashay, it hit the Top 10 dance chart) and Alicia Keyes “No One.” His latest single, “That’s Me,” is an assertive ode to independence that looks bound for more dance floor success.

“There’s a definite disparity between the number of female and male vocalists out there [in dance music],” says Ford. “I look at that as a void to fill. It’s time for a change!”