Google Doodle celebrates Portuguese singer Antonio Variacoes’s 79th Birthday. All you need to know

Google Doodle is celebrating the 79th birthday of Portuguese singer, hairdresser, and songwriter António Variações. While Variações never officially came out as an LGTQ+, he still remains a role model for the community and is widely celebrated during Pride marches for his legendary music and his lasting impact on LGBTQ+ culture.

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Early Life:

Variações was born on December 3, 1944 in the village of Fiscal and spent his early years with several siblings on his parents’ farm where he developed his love for music after hearing his father play the accordion and cavaquinho.

While Variações did not witness many diverse styles during his growing up years owing to heavily censored media in Portugal that did not show people wearing clothes outside the traditional norms, the legendary singer developed his unique fashion sense when he travelled to London and learned in hairdressing in Amsterdam where he experimented with different styles.

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After his return to Lisbon, Variações had a distinct fashion sense that included him donning two-toned facial hair, large metal accessories and bold colors and prints.

Road to fame:

Variações worked at the first Portugal unisex hair salon before opening his own salon – É Pró Menino e Prá Menina. Variações shot to fame with his self-written first album – Anjo da Guarda and went to on to shake the pop-rock industry once more with a more somber album- Dar e Receber that was released in 1984.

However, Variações died from HIV/AIDS-related complications before he had a chance to experience being a radio hit. Amogst first major celebrity to have HIV/AIDS, Variações helped awareness and empathy for the cause.