Chad Michael Storbeck, known professionally as Chad Michaels (born March 20, 1971), is an American drag performer and professional

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

impersonator. He was the runner-up of the fourth season of ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

'', alongside

Phi Phi O'Hara Jaremi Lee Carey (born Jeremy Lee Carey; October 10, 1985) is an American actor, streamer, singer, cosplay artist, and former drag performer who performed under the name Phi Phi O'Hara. In the O'Hara persona, Carey came to international attention ...

, and the winner of the first season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars''. In 2013, he released "Tragic Girl", his debut single and music video.

Early life

Michaels was born Chad Michael Storbeck to former high school football player Jerry Michael Storbeck of

Aurelia, Iowa Aurelia is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 968 at the 2020 census. History Aurelia was founded in 1873 as a stop along the Illinois Central Railroad branch connecting Sioux City, Iowa, to Chicago, Illinois. Thi ...

and salon worker Linda Storbeck Olson of

Encinitas, California Encinitas ( Spanish for "Small Oaks") is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about south ...

at Arcadia Methodist Hospital in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...

on March 20, 1971. His parents graduated from Pasadena High School and

Aurelia High School Aurelia High School was the senior high school of Aurelia Community School. It is located in Aurelia, Iowa, a town in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. Following the 2011-12 school year, Aurelia was one of the smallest schools in the state, ...

, respectively, and wed in 1968. They resided in

Olivenhain, Encinitas, California Olivenhain is a neighborhood in the city of Encinitas, California, located in the North County area of San Diego County. It is the easternmost community of Encinitas, bordering the western portion of Rancho Santa Fe. The community of Olivenhain ...

at the time of his birth before they moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, and then again to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, where he was raised.Michaels in He originally went by the drag name "Brigitte Love." Michaels chose to perform under his own name after working at "An Evening at La Cage" in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

, which required the drag queens to use male stage names.

Career

''RuPaul's Drag Race''

In 2010, Michaels competed in the first California Entertainer of the Year pageant, becoming first alternate to winner Shangela. In 2011, Chad was announced as one of the 13 queens competing on the fourth season of ''

'' in 2012. Throughout the series, Chad won two challenges, including "WTF!: Wrestling's Trashiest Fighters" as well as the annual "

Snatch Game Snatch Game is a challenge on the ''Drag Race'' reality competition television franchise. Beginning with the second season of the original American series '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', the challenge has taken place on every season since. It has also ...

" (a parody of the Match Game) where he impersonated

. His performance as

received high praises from the judges. He made it to the final three, losing to

Sharon Needles Sharon Needles (born November 28, 1981) is the stage name of Aaron R. Coady, an American drag performer and recording artist. A self-described "stupid genius, reviled sweetheart, and PBR princess", Needles rose to international attention on the ...

. After his run on ''Drag Race'', Chad continued to perform as Cher.

''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars''

In the same year, Chad was announced as a contestant on the first series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars''. During the series, he teamed up with Season 1 contestant

Shannel Bryan Watkins, known by his stage name Shannel (born July 3, 1979), is an American drag queen and television personality, best known for competing on the first season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and later the first season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race ...

. Chad won three challenges, including the make-over challenge, and ultimately won the competition, beating

Season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...

runner-up

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between " crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigne ...

in a final lipsync. This secured his spot in the ''Drag Race'' Hall of Fame. Michaels produces and performs with the Dreamgirls Revue, a female impersonation show in California. Performers in the Dreamgirls Revue have included ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' contestants

Delta Work Delta Work is the stage name of Gabriel A. Villarreal, a Mexican-American drag performer and stylist, best known for competing on the third season of the reality competition television series '' RuPaul's Drag Race''. Villarreal received the ...

, Detox, Morgan McMichaels,

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested ...

, and

Venus D-Lite Adam Daniel Guerra (born June 30, 1984), known by his stage name Venus D-Lite, is an American drag performer, television personality and Madonna impersonator. He gained recognition for competing on the third season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', and ...

. Morgan McMichaels is Michaels' drag daughter. Michaels started touring with Farrah Moan in 2019 for the

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

tour, based on the Cher and

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

movie.

Discography

Singles

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Web series

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Chad 1971 births Living people American drag queens People from Los Angeles People from San Diego Chad Michaels