Sufjan Stevens has just released a new song called “Tony Harding” dedicated to the US skater. In an essay he writes the first time he saw her skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1991. “She was an unlikely skating star, having been raised working class in Portland, Oregon. Being a poor outsider, her rise to fame in the skating rink was seen, by some, as a blemish on a sport that favored sophistication and style,” he said. “Tonya’s skating technique was feisty, fierce, and full of athleticism, and her flamboyant outfits were often hand-made by her mother (who was abusive and overbearing).”
After heartbreaking events in her life “fiercely followed by the media,” Sufjan ” began to feel a conviction to write something with dignity and grace, to pull back the ridiculous tabloid fodder and take stock of the real story of this strange and magnificent America hero.”
“Tony Harding” will be released on cassette and in a limited edition light blue 7-inch vinyl. Listen to it and watch the cover below.
Last modified: December 6, 2017
