B-52s’ Fred Schneider: Gay, Proud, and on the Comeback Trail

“Back then no one even knew what they were,” the mastermind behind “Love Shack” told Howard of his sexual orientation. “You became gay in the ’70s.”

Schneider’s mother always knew more about her son than he knew about himself. He came out of the closet while she was vacuum-cleaning. “Oh I know, Freddie,” she said, and continued vacuuming without missing a beat.

“It’s like, well, OK. I guess I’ll go back outside and smoke some pot.”