RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' and has received
several accolades, including 14
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, three
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...
, a
Critics' Choice Television Award
The Critics' Choice Television Awards were accolades that were presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fou ...
, two
''Billboard'' Music Awards, and a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
. He has been dubbed the "Queen of Drag" and is considered the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States, with ''
Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fate
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
'' saying that he is "easily the world's most famous drag queen."
In 2017, RuPaul was included in the annual
''Time'' 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
Born and raised in San Diego, California, RuPaul studied performing arts in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia, before relocating to New York City, where he became a popular fixture on the
LGBTQ nightclub scene. He achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single, "
Supermodel (You Better Work)
"Supermodel (You Better Work)" is a song by American dance music singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released as a double A-sided single alongside " House of Love" on November 17, 1992 by Tommy Boy Records. The song served as the lead single fr ...
" (1993). RuPaul was a spokesperson for
MAC Cosmetics
M A C Cosmetics is a Canadian cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company has been headquartered in New York City since becoming a subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies in 1998. MAC is an acron ...
in 1994, raising money for the
Mac AIDS Fund
M∙A∙C AIDS Fund (M·A·F) is a public charity established in 1994 to support people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. It donates funds to communities and organizations that offer services to people with HIV/AIDS and help to prevent the disease ...
and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign.
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' was created in 2009 and has gone on to produce seventeen seasons in the United States. The show has also seen success internationally and there are several international variants of the show, including ''
RuPaul's Drag Race UK
''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. T ...
'' (2019–present) and ''
Canada's Drag Race
''Canada's Drag Race'' is a Canadian reality competition television series based on the American series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and is the Canadian edition of the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by Blue Ant Studios. In a similar format to t ...
'' (2020–present). There are also several spin-offs of the main show, such as ''
RuPaul's Drag U
''RuPaul's Drag U'' (as in "Drag University") is an American reality television series that debuted July 19, 2010, on Logo TV. Its final episode aired in August 2012. It was hosted by RuPaul and a team of drag queen "professors". ''Drag U'' was ...
'' (2010–2012), ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...
'', (2012–present), and ''
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race
''RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' (often abbreviated as RSCDR) is an American reality competition series that premiered April 24, 2020 on VH1. A spin-off of the television series, celebrities competing for their chosen charity, mentored by ...
'' (2020–2022). His other television work includes ''
The RuPaul Show
''The RuPaul Show'' is an American talk show, talk, variety show that premiered on VH1 in 1996. Hosted by the Drag queen, drag performer RuPaul, the show had many famous musical guests and was notable as being one of the first national television ...
'' (1996–1998), ''
Skin Wars
''Skin Wars'' is a body painting reality competition hosted by Rebecca Romijn that premiered on the American pay-television channel Game Show Network on August 6, 2014. Contestants on the series perform challenges containing body painting each e ...
'' (2014–2016),
''Good Work'' (2015), ''
Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul
''Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul'' is an American game show that premiered on the Logo cable network, on April 11, 2016 and ended on July 13, 2017. The trivia-based game show, hosted by RuPaul, featured contestants who answer questions re ...
'' (2016–2017), and
''RuPaul'' (2019). In 2018, RuPaul received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
for his contributions to the television industry.
RuPaul has made appearances in films, including ''
Crooklyn
''Crooklyn'' is a 1994 American semi-autobiographical film produced and directed by Spike Lee, who wrote it with his siblings Joie and Cinqué. Taking place in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the summer of ...
'' (1994), ''
The Brady Bunch Movie
''The Brady Bunch Movie'' is a 1995 American comedy film that parodies the 1969–1974 television series ''The Brady Bunch'' (albeit in postmodern lens). The film was directed by Betty Thomas, with a screenplay by Laurice Elehwany, Rick Copp, a ...
'' (1995), and ''
But I'm a Cheerleader
''But I'm a Cheerleader'' is a 1999 American Satire (film and television), satirical Teen film, teen romantic comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit in her feature directorial debut and written by Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Mega ...
'' (1999), as well as television series, including ''
Girlboss
"Girlboss" is a neologism that denotes a woman "whose success is defined in opposition to the masculine business world in which she swims upstream". They are described as confident and capable women who are successful in their career, or the one ...
'' and ''
Broad City
''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...
'' (both 2017). He created and starred in the
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
original series ''
AJ and the Queen
''AJ and the Queen'' is an American comedy-drama television series, created by RuPaul and Michael Patrick King. It premiered on Netflix on January 10, 2020.
Premise
''AJ and the Queen'' follows "Ruby Red, a bigger-than-life but down-on-her-luck ...
'' (2020). As a recording artist, RuPaul has released
fifteen studio albums. He has also published four books: ''
Lettin' It All Hang Out
''Lettin' It All Hang Out'' is the autobiography of drag performer RuPaul. The book was originally released in 1995 in hardback, and then in paperback a year later. Although the book is classed as an autobiography, it is self described as "Part ...
'' (1995), ''
Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
'' (2010), ''
GuRu
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
'' (2018), and ''
The House of Hidden Meanings
''The House of Hidden Meanings'' is a memoir by RuPaul. It is RuPaul's fourth book following '' Lettin' It All Hang Out'' (1995), ''Workin' It!'' (2010), and ''GuRu'' (2018). Upon release, it hit #1 on the ''New York Times
''The New ...
'' (2024).
Early life
RuPaul was born in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
on November 17, 1960, the son of Ernestine "Toni" (née Fontenette) and Irving Andrew Charles. His parents were both from
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
.
He was named by his mother; "Ru" came from ''
roux
Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or Cooking oil, oil on the stove top, blended until smoo ...
'', the French term for the base of
gumbo
Gumbo () is a stew that is popular among the U.S. Gulf Coast community, the New Orleans stew variation being the official state cuisine of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly flavored stock, meat or shellfis ...
and other
creole stews and soups. According to DNA analysis by ''
Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'' staff, his ancestry is 70% African and 30% European.
[
After his parents divorced in 1967, RuPaul and his three sisters lived with their mother, a ]Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbat ...
. He was raised in the Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
faith and attended Patrick Henry High School. At 15, RuPaul and his sister Renetta moved to Atlanta, where they studied performing arts.
Career
1980–1995: Beginnings and ''Supermodel of the World''
RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s, working at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre. In 1982, he debuted on an Atlanta public access variety show called '' The American Music Show'', and went on to appear on the show frequently. He also took part in underground cinema
An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing.
Notable examples include
John Waters' ''Pink Flamingos'',
David Lynch's ''Eraserhead'',
Andy Warhol's ''Blue Movie'',
Rosa von Praunheim's ''Tal ...
, helping create the low-budget film '' Star Booty'' and an album of the same name. In Atlanta he often performed at the Celebrity Club, managed by Larry Tee
Larry Tee (born October 12, 1959) is a LA-based DJ, club promoter, and music producer who curated the electroclash scene in New York in the early 2000s, and helped launch the careers of such artists as RuPaul, Scissor Sisters, Fischerspooner, Pe ...
, as a bar dancer or with his band, Wee Wee Pole. RuPaul also performed as a backup singer to Glen Meadmore
Glen Meadmore is a Canadian musician, actor, and performance artist currently residing in Los Angeles, United States. His music is often described as Cowpunk.
Biography
Glen Meadmore was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. As a teenager, Meadm ...
along with drag queen Vaginal Davis
Vaginal Davis (born in Los Angeles, California) is an American performer, painter, independent curator, composer, film-maker and writer. Born intersex and raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Davis gained notoriety in New York during the 1980s ...
. His first prominent national exposure came in 1989, when he danced as an extra
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* Extra (newspaper), ...
in the video for The B-52s
The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant grocer's apostrophe, apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate ...
' "Love Shack
"Love Shack" is a song by American new wave band the B-52's from their fifth studio album, ''Cosmic Thing'' (1989). It was released on June 20, 1989, and was produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback for the band, following their decline in ...
".
In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. Initially participating in gender bender
A gender bender is a person who dresses up and presents themselves in a way that defies societal expectations of their gender, especially as the opposite sex. Bending expected gender roles may also be called a genderfuck.
The concept of gender ...
-style performances, he performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several New York City nightclubs, most notably the Pyramid Club Pyramid Club may refer to the following night clubs:
* Pyramid Club (New York City)
The Pyramid Club was a nightclub in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City. After opening in 1979, the Pyramid helped define the East Village drag queen, ...
. He played opposite New York City drag performer Mona Foot
Nashom Benjamin Wooden (October 9, 1969 – March 23, 2020) was an American performing artist. Wooden was a member of the electronic dance music group the Ones and performed as a drag queen under the stage name Mona Foot.
Biography
Wooden was b ...
(Nashom Benjamin) in the one-act science-fiction parody "My Pet Homo", written and directed by Jon Michael Johnson for Cooper Square Productions. He performed for many years at the annual Wigstock
Wigstock was an annual outdoor Drag (clothing), drag festival that began in 1984 in Manhattan's East Village, Manhattan, East Village that took place on Labor Day. Continuing, with a few gaps, until 2005, the festival would traditionally act as t ...
drag
Drag or The Drag may refer to:
Places
* Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway
* ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania
* Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
festival and appeared in the documentary '' Wigstock: The Movie''. In the 1990s, RuPaul appeared on the UK Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
series ''Manhattan Cable'', a weekly series produced by World of Wonder and presented by American Laurie Pike about New York's public-access television
Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is Narrowcasting, narrowcast through cable tele ...
system.
In 1993, RuPaul recorded the dance/house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
album ''Supermodel of the World
''Supermodel of the World'' is the debut studio album by American singer and drag queen RuPaul, released on June 8, 1993, by Tommy Boy Records. It is his second album overall, his first release being a soundtrack album. With the release of the ...
''. It was released through the rap label Tommy Boy
''Tommy Boy'' is a 1995 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Segal, written by Bonnie and Terry Turner, produced by Lorne Michaels, and starring soon-to-be former ''Saturday Night Live'' castmates and close friends Chris Farley and D ...
, spawning the dance track hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)
"Supermodel (You Better Work)" is a song by American dance music singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released as a double A-sided single alongside " House of Love" on November 17, 1992 by Tommy Boy Records. The song served as the lead single fr ...
". The song peaked at 45 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It charted on the UK Singles Chart, peaking on the top 40 at 39. The song found the most success on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart, where it peaked at 2. Radio airplay, heavy rotation of the music video on MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, and television appearances on popular programs like ''The Arsenio Hall Show
''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall.
There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989 ...
'' popularized the song. His next two singles/videos, "Back to My Roots
The human back, also called the dorsum (: dorsa), is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral ...
" and " A Shade Shady (Now Prance)", both went to the top spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. His following release " House of Love" failed to place on any U.S. charts but peaked at 68 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1994, he released "Don't Go Breaking My Heart
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee, released by The Rocket Record Company on 25 June 1976. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte B ...
", a duet with Elton John.
RuPaul was signed to a modeling contract for MAC Cosmetics
M A C Cosmetics is a Canadian cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company has been headquartered in New York City since becoming a subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies in 1998. MAC is an acron ...
. Various billboards featured him in full drag, often with the text "I am the MAC girl". He also released his autobiography, ''Lettin' It All Hang Out
''Lettin' It All Hang Out'' is the autobiography of drag performer RuPaul. The book was originally released in 1995 in hardback, and then in paperback a year later. Although the book is classed as an autobiography, it is self described as "Part ...
''. He promoted the book in part with a 1995 guest appearance on ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
's ''All My Children
''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...
'', in a storyline that put it on the set of Erica Kane
Erica Kane is a fictional character from the American ABC Daytime soap opera ''All My Children''. The character was portrayed by actress Susan Lucci from her debut on January 16, 1970, until the last broadcast television episode on September 23, 2 ...
's talk show "The Cutting Edge". The same year, he was featured in his first of two appearances in the ''Brady Bunch'' movies, in which he played Jan's female guidance counselor.
1996–2007: ''Foxy Lady'' and ''Red Hot''
In 1996, he landed a talk show of his own on VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
, called ''The RuPaul Show
''The RuPaul Show'' is an American talk show, talk, variety show that premiered on VH1 in 1996. Hosted by the Drag queen, drag performer RuPaul, the show had many famous musical guests and was notable as being one of the first national television ...
'' interviewing celebrity guests and musical acts. Cher
Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
, Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
, Pat Benatar
Patricia Mae Giraldo (née Andrzejewski; formerly and still professionally Benatar ; born January 10, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, and 15 US ''Billboa ...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
, Bea Arthur
Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress, comedienne and singer. She began her career on stage in 1947, attracting critical acclaim before achieving worldwide recognition for her work o ...
, Dionne Warwick
Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
, Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...
, Beenie Man
Moses Anthony Davis OD (born 22 August 1973), professionally known as Beenie Man, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay. His awards include DJ of the Year Award eight years in a row. His twelfth studio album '' Art and Life'' received a Grammy Award ...
, Pete Burns
Peter Jozzeppi Burns (5 August 1959 – 23 October 2016) was an English singer, songwriter and television personality who formed the band Dead or Alive (band), Dead or Alive in 1980 during the New wave music, new wave era and was the band's lea ...
, Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow are an English New wave music, new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band with then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. They released their deb ...
, and the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
were notable guests. His co-host was Michelle Visage
Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...
with whom he also co-hosted on WKTU
WKTU (103.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a rhythmic adult contemporary formatted radio station city of license, licensed to Lake Success, New York, a suburb of New York City. WKTU is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios at 125 West 55th ...
radio. On one episode, RuPaul featured guests Chi Chi LaRue
Larry David Paciotti (born November 8, 1959) is an American director of pornographic films. He appears as the drag- diva persona Chi Chi LaRue (), and has been credited as director under the names "Lawrence David" and "Taylor Hudson".
Caree ...
and Tom Chase
Tom Chase (born March 6, 1965) is an American gay pornographic film actor who was active in the 1990s and 2000s. He is best known as the first lifetime exclusive model for Falcon Studios, and for his later work at Colt Studio Group.
Biograph ...
speaking about the gay porn industry.
Later in the year he released his second album, ''Foxy Lady
"Foxy Lady" (or alternatively "Foxey Lady") is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album '' Are You Experienced'' and was later issued as their third single in the U.S. with the alternate spelling. It is ...
'', this time on the L.A.-based Rhino Records
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
label. The album failed to chart on the ''Billboard'' 200. However, its first single "Snapshot
Snapshot, snapshots or snap shot may refer to:
* Snapshot (photography), a photograph taken without preparation
Computing
* Snapshot (computer storage), the state of a system at a particular point in time
* Snapshot (file format) or SNP, a file ...
" went to number four on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart. It also enjoyed limited mainstream success, charting at 95 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, which was his second and final solo Hot 100 entry to date. The album's second single " A Little Bit of Love" was not as successful, peaking at 28 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. During this time, RuPaul hosted a morning radio show at WKTU
WKTU (103.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a rhythmic adult contemporary formatted radio station city of license, licensed to Lake Success, New York, a suburb of New York City. WKTU is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios at 125 West 55th ...
radio in New York City and would serve as host until 1998.
In 1997, he released his third album, the Christmas-themed ''Ho Ho Ho
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring gifts during the ...
''. That year, RuPaul teamed with Martha Wash
Martha Elaine Wash (born December 28, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for her distinctive and powerful voice, Wash first achieved fame as half of the The Weather Girls, Two Tons O' Fun, along with Izora Armstead, as they sang b ...
to remake the classic disco anthem, " It's Raining Men". The song was included on the 1998 compilation CD '' RuPaul's Go Go Box Classics''. During this time, he appeared in Webex
Webex by Cisco, is an American subsidiary of Cisco Systems that develops and sells web conferencing, videoconferencing and contact center as a service applications. It was founded as WebEx Communications, Inc., in 1995 and acquired by Cisco Sy ...
TV commercials and magazine ads. In 2002, he was featured on the Eurodance
Eurodance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of Hip-hop, rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use ...
track "You're No Lady" alongside Brigitte Nielsen
Brigitte Nielsen (; born Gitte Nielsen; 15 July 1963) is a Danish actress, model, and singer. She began her career modelling for Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton. She subsequently acted in the 1985 films ''Red Sonja'' and ''Rocky IV'', later retu ...
.
In 2004, RuPaul released his fourth album, '' Red Hot'' on his own RuCo Inc. music label. It received dance radio and club play, but very little press coverage. RuPaul later noted, "I don't know what happened. It seemed I couldn't get press on my album unless I was willing to play into the role that the mainstream press has assigned to gay people, which is as servants of straight ideals." ''Red Hots lead single " Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous" peaked at number two on the dance chart. The second, "WorkOut
Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovasc ...
", peaked at number five. The third and final single from the album "People Are People" a duet with Tom Trujillo, peaked at number 10. The album itself only charted on the Top Electronic Albums
Top Dance Albums (formerly Top Electronic Albums and Top Dance/Electronic Albums) is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine which ranks the top-selling dance music albums in the United States based on sales compiled by Nielsen S ...
chart, where it hit number nine. In September, he was hired at WNEW.
On June 13, 2006, RuPaul released ''ReWorked'', his first remix
A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
album. The only single released from the album was a re-recording of "Supermodel (You Better Work)", which reached number 21 on the U.S. dance chart. June 20, 2007, saw the release of '' Starrbooty: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' in the United States. The single "Call Me Starrbooty" was digitally released in 2007. The album contains new tracks as well as interludes with dialogue from the movie. The film was released on DVD in October 2007.
2008–2013: ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', ''Champion'', and ''Glamazon''
In mid-2008, RuPaul began producing ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'', a reality television game show which aired on Logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
in February 2009. On the program drag queens compete to be selected by RuPaul and a panel of judges as "America's next drag superstar". The first season's winner was BeBe Zahara Benet
Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa (born March 20, 1981), better known by his stage name BeBe Zahara Benet, is a Cameroonian-American drag queen, drag performer, television personality, and musician best known for winning the RuPaul's Drag Race (season 1), fi ...
, and first runner-up Nina Flowers
Jorge Luis Flores Sánchez (born February 22, 1974), better known as Nina Flowers, is a Puerto Rican drag queen and DJ who has been performing since 1993. He is best known for being the runner-up of the inaugural season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race ...
was chosen by fans as "Miss Congeniality" through voting via the show's official website. To publicize the new show, RuPaul appeared on several other shows in 2008, including ''Project Runway
''Project Runway'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on December 1, 2004. The series focuses on fashion design. It was created by Eli Holzman and was hosted by Heidi Klum from 2004 to 2017. It has a varied airi ...
'', as guest judge, and on ''Paula's Party
''Paula's Party'' is a show on the Food Network hosted by Paula Deen. Unlike her other show on the Food Network, '' Paula's Home Cooking, Paula's Party'' was originally taped in front of a small audience at Uncle Bubba's Oyster House in Savann ...
'' as a guest "chef".
In March 2009, RuPaul released the album ''Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...
''. The album spawned four singles "Cover Girl
A cover girl is a woman whose photograph is used for the front cover of magazines. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a person making a single, casual appearance on the cover of a magaz ...
", " Jealous of My Boogie", "Devil Made Me Do It", and "Tranny Chaser". The album peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Dance/Electronic Albums
Top Dance Albums (formerly Top Electronic Albums and Top Dance/Electronic Albums) is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine which ranks the top-selling dance music albums in the United States based on sales compiled by Nielsen ...
as well as 26 on the ''Billboard'' Top Heatseekers
The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
chart. Logo's second annual NewNowNext Awards
The NewNowNext-Awards was an American annual entertainment awards show, presented by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-themed channel Logo TV. Launched in 2008, awards are presented both for LGBT-specific and general interest achievemen ...
in 2009 were hosted by RuPaul. There he performed "Jealous of My Boogie (Gomi & RasJek Edit)". In March 2010, RuPaul released his second remix album, ''Drag Race'', the album features remixes of songs from the 2009 album ''Champion''.
In April 2011, coinciding with the finale of season 3 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'', RuPaul released his sixth studio album '' Glamazon'', produced by Revolucian. The album charted on ''Billboard's'' Dance/Electronic Albums
Top Dance Albums (formerly Top Electronic Albums and Top Dance/Electronic Albums) is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine which ranks the top-selling dance music albums in the United States based on sales compiled by Nielsen ...
and the ''Billboard'' Top Heatseekers
The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
chart at 11 and 8 respectively. In July 2011, he released another remix EP entitled ''SuperGlam DQ'' which features remixes of tracks from ''Glamazon'', remixes of the "''Drag U'' Theme Song", and a new song, "Sexy Drag Queen". The second season of ''RuPaul's Drag U
''RuPaul's Drag U'' (as in "Drag University") is an American reality television series that debuted July 19, 2010, on Logo TV. Its final episode aired in August 2012. It was hosted by RuPaul and a team of drag queen "professors". ''Drag U'' was ...
'' began in June 2011. In late 2011, RuPaul made appearances on ''The Rosie Show
''The Rosie Show'' is an American evening television talk show starring and produced by Rosie O'Donnell that aired on OWN. The first episode premiered on October 10, 2011, on the stage that was formerly home to '' The Oprah Winfrey Show'' at ...
'' and ''The Chew
''The Chew'' is an American cooking-themed talk show that aired for seven seasons from September 26, 2011, to June 28, 2018, having replaced the soap opera ''All My Children'', on ABC as part of the network's weekday daytime lineup. The name w ...
'', and also attended a ''Drag Race'' NY Premiere party at Patricia Field
Patricia Field (born February 12, 1942) is an American costume designer, stylist, and fashion designer working in New York City.
Early life
Field was born in New York City to an Armenian father and a Greek mother, who emigrated from Plomari, L ...
's store in New York. Season 4 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' premiered on Logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
on January 30, 2012, with RuPaul returning as the main host and judge. In the fall of 2012, the spin-off ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...
'' premiered and featured past contestants of the previous four seasons. Season 5 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' premiered on January 28, 2013. On April 30, 2013, he released "Lick It Lollipop" featuring Lady Bunny
Lady Bunny, previously known as Bunny Hickory Dickory Dock (born Jon Ingle, August 13, 1962), is an American drag queen, nightclub DJ, actor, comedian, and event organizer. She is the founder of the annual Wigstock event, as well as an occasion ...
.
In fall of 2013, RuPaul joined forces with cosmetic manufacturers Colorevolution to launch his debut make-up line featuring ultra-rich pigment
A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
cosmetics and a beauty collection. Released alongside the line was a unisex
Unisex is an adjective indicating something is not sex-specific, i.e. is suitable for any type of sex. The term can also mean gender-blindness or gender neutrality.
The term 'unisex' was coined in the 1960s and was used fairly informally. The co ...
perfume entitled " Glamazon". Talking to World of Wonder he said: "Glamazon is for women and men of all ages and preferences who share one thing in common: They are not afraid to be fierce. For me, glamour should be accessible to all, and I am committed to helping the world look and smell more beautiful." The line was exclusively sold on the Colorevolution website in various gift sets.
2014–2016: ''Born Naked'', ''Realness,'' ''Butch Queen'', and television expansion
On January 28, 2014, RuPaul released '' RuPaul Presents The CoverGurlz'', a collaborative album featuring new versions of RuPaul songs from 2009 to 2013. His seventh studio album, ''Born Naked
''Born Naked'' is the seventh studio album from American singer-songwriter, actor and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on iTunes and Amazon through RuCo on February 24, 2014, coinciding with the sixth season premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race' ...
'', was released on February 24, 2014, to coincide with the premiere of the 6th season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
''. ''Born Naked'' placed at number 4 on the US ''Billboard'' dance chart and 85 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. On April 9, 2014, RuPaul and Michelle Visage
Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...
released the first episode of their podcast, '' RuPaul: What's the Tee? with Michelle Visage''. In August, he joined the reality competition show ''Skin Wars
''Skin Wars'' is a body painting reality competition hosted by Rebecca Romijn that premiered on the American pay-television channel Game Show Network on August 6, 2014. Contestants on the series perform challenges containing body painting each e ...
'' acting as a judge.
On March 2, 2015, RuPaul released his eighth studio album, ''Realness
''Realness'' is the eighth studio album from singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on March 2, 2015 and is RuPaul's first album to feature a Parental Advisory warning label. The album was released to coincide with the seventh season pr ...
''. The release coincided with the premiere of the seventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. In April, he launched and began hosting a new show, '' Good Work'', a plastic surgery-themed talk show for E!. In October he released his second Christmas album
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of carols, may employ lyrics about the nativity of Je ...
, and ninth studio album, ''Slay Belles
''Slay Belles'' is the ninth studio album and second Christmas album from American singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released exclusively via iTunes and Amazon on 23 October 2015, through RuPaul's label RuCo. It was also made available to stre ...
''. The album contains ten original Christmas-themed songs and features collaborations with Michelle Visage
Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...
, Siedah Garrett
Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand ...
, Todrick Hall
Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, rapper, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a following on Yo ...
, and Big Freedia
Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by her stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper, singer and performer known for her work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helpi ...
. The album charted at 21 on the US ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
chart.
In January 2016, it was announced RuPaul would present a new game show for Logo TV
Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...
called ''Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul
''Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul'' is an American game show that premiered on the Logo cable network, on April 11, 2016 and ended on July 13, 2017. The trivia-based game show, hosted by RuPaul, featured contestants who answer questions re ...
'' which premiered on April 11, 2016, after ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. In March 2016, he released his tenth album, ''Butch Queen
''Butch Queen'' is the tenth studio album from singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on March 4, 2016, just three days prior to the eighth season premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. The album features guest appearances from Ellis Miah, T ...
'', just prior to the premiere of the eighth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. A song from the album, "U Wear It Well" was featured in the teaser campaigns for the season and was released as its first single. The album charted at number 3 on the US ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
chart. "'Be Someone" featuring American singer Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer who rose to fame after her first two albums ('' Tell It to My Heart'' and '' Can't Fight Fate'') were both certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of ...
was released as the album's second and final single. Additionally, '' Butch Queen: The Ru-Mixes'' was released.
In July 2016, it was announced that RuPaul was nominated for the . He was presented the award at the September Creative Arts Emmy Awards Ceremony. 2016 also saw the release of the single "Read U Wrote U" that features rap parts by the ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2'' finalists Roxxxy Andrews
Michael W. Feliciano, known by their stage name Roxxxy Andrews (born September 23, 1983), is an American drag performer who came to international attention for being a contestant on the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and the second and ...
, Katya Zamolodchikova
Brian Joseph McCook (born May 1, 1982), known by his drag persona Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova (), or mononymously as Katya (), is an American drag queen, actor, author, recording artist, podcaster, and comedian. is best known for placin ...
, Alaska Thunderfuck
Justin Andrew Honard (born March 6, 1985), best known by the stage name Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 or Alaska Thunderfuck and Mononymous person, mononymously as Alaska, is an American drag queen and singer from Erie, Pennsylvania. She is best know ...
, and Detox Icunt
Deandra Sanderson, better known by the stage name Detox Icunt or simply Detox, is an American drag performer and recording artist. Detox was a fixture of the Southern California drag scene before coming to international attention on the fifth s ...
with production by Ellis Miah
Ellis Miah (born March 21 in New York City) is an American songwriter, record producer, composer, vocalist and DJ of Bangladeshi and Caribbean descent. He has had over 17 records on various ''Billboard'' charts including the ''Billboard'' 200, Ele ...
.
2017–present: Further album releases, ''Drag Race UK'', ''AJ and the Queen'', and further TV shows
On February 3, 2017, RuPaul released the album '' Remember Me: Essential, Vol. 1''. It is a collection of new songs and remakes of RuPaul hits that feature new artists. Two singles were released from the album: "Rock It (To The Moon)", and an updated version of RuPaul's 1996 single "Snapshot" from ''Foxy Lady''. The album debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' Dance Albums Sales Chart in the United States and at number eleven on the UK Dance Albums Chart. On March 24, 2017, RuPaul released his eleventh studio album, ''American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
''. On the same day, the ninth regular season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' debuted on basic cable channel VH1. It moved from the expanded cable channel Logo TV which aired all previous seasons of the show. The season 9 premiere featured singer Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
as its guest judge and was a success, with ratings of nearly 1,000,000 viewers, making it the series' most viewed episode.
On June 9, 2017, ''Essential, Vol. 2
American drag queen and singer RuPaul has released sixteen studio albums, four soundtrack albums, six compilation albums, five remix albums, and four extended plays. RuPaul has also released 68 Music single, singles, forty-two music videos and th ...
'' was released. It was preceded by the single "Crying on the Dance Floor", a re-recording of the 2010 single "Main Event" from ''Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...
''. On March 16, 2018, RuPaul received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
for his contributions to the television industry. He was the first drag queen to be given the award. RuPaul released his third Christmas album in October 2018.
In June 2019, the daytime talk show ''RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
'' premiered. It was cancelled after a three-week test run. He also appeared in Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
's "You Need to Calm Down
"You Need to Calm Down" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her seventh studio album, ''Lover'' (2019). Republic Records released it for download and streaming on June 14, 2019. Written and produc ...
" music video. In late 2019, the first season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK
''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. T ...
'' was released on BBC3
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
. It was renewed for a second season which was released in 2021. RuPaul also created and starred in the Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
drama-comedy show ''AJ and the Queen
''AJ and the Queen'' is an American comedy-drama television series, created by RuPaul and Michael Patrick King. It premiered on Netflix on January 10, 2020.
Premise
''AJ and the Queen'' follows "Ruby Red, a bigger-than-life but down-on-her-luck ...
'', which was released on January 10, 2020. On March 6, 2020, Netflix announced that the series had been cancelled. RuPaul hosted ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' on February 8, 2020. On May 11, RuPaul made an appearance on '' The Price Is Right at Night''. He also made an appearance in the premiere episode of ''Canada's Drag Race
''Canada's Drag Race'' is a Canadian reality competition television series based on the American series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and is the Canadian edition of the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by Blue Ant Studios. In a similar format to t ...
''.
In August 2021, RuPaul guest hosted two episodes of the talk show ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...
''. He did voice work in ''Amphibia
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic ...
'' portraying the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
agent Mr. X. He won the Tony Award for Best Musical
The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the ...
in 2022 as a producer of the Broadway musical ''A Strange Loop
''A Strange Loop'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson, and winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. First produced off-Broadway in 2019, then staged in Washington, D.C. in 2021, ''A Strange Loop'' premiered on Br ...
''. He also voices himself as the announcer on ''The Tiny Chef Show
''The Tiny Chef Show'' is an American live-action/animated television series created by Rachel Larsen, Ozlem 'Ozi' Akturk and Adam Reid that premiered on Nickelodeon on September 9, 2022.
Premise
''The Tiny Chef Show'' follows the chef as he ...
''. He began hosting a revival of the game show '' Lingo'' for CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
in 2023, as well as ''Celebrity Lingo'', a spinoff of the UK series of the same name on ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including:
**ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
.
HarperCollins published the RuPaul memoir ''The House of Hidden Meanings
''The House of Hidden Meanings'' is a memoir by RuPaul. It is RuPaul's fourth book following '' Lettin' It All Hang Out'' (1995), ''Workin' It!'' (2010), and ''GuRu'' (2018). Upon release, it hit #1 on the ''New York Times
''The New ...
'' in March 2024.
Other ventures
Podcasting
The podcast
A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...
'' RuPaul: What's the Tee? With Michelle Visage'' debuted on April 6, 2014. Ru-Paul co-hosts with longtime friend and fellow ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' judge Michelle Visage
Michelle Visage (born Michelle Lynn Shupack, September 20, 1968) is an American television personality, singer, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction (group), Seduction, who char ...
. The weekly show features their thoughts on topics including behind-the-scenes of ''RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'', life advice, beauty tips, and conversations with featured guests from the entertainment world.
Audiobooks
In 2018, RuPaul was one of the actors who voiced the audiobook ''A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
''A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo'' is a 2018 children's book written by Jill Twiss and illustrated by EG Keller (a pseudonym of Gerald Kelley). The book is about a fictional day in the life of Marlon Bundo, the real-life pet rabbit of th ...
''.
Drag conventions
Launched through production company World of Wonder, RuPaul's DragCon LA
RuPaul's DragCon LA is an annual Trade fair, expo of Drag (clothing), drag culture held in Los Angeles billed as a "convention that celebrates 'the art of drag, queer culture and self-expression for all'", which debuted in 2015. Its sister even ...
is an annual drag-themed convention held in Los Angeles which started in 2015, followed by RuPaul's DragCon NYC
RuPaul's DragCon NYC is an annual fan convention and expo of drag culture held in New York City, which debuted in September 2017. It is based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA which was launched in Los Angeles in 2015 billed as a “conventi ...
. It began in 2017 in New York City; the public is able to meet with RuPaul, former ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' contestants, and other drag queens. The conventions feature performances, meet-and-greet booths, merchandise sales and panel discussions.
Activism
RuPaul has been an active supporter of voter registration, producing a public service announcement supporting National Voter Registration Day
National Voter Registration Day, observed on a Tuesday in September, is a nonpartisan civic holiday in the U.S. creating broad awareness of voter registration opportunities and celebrating democracy.
Background
About 2000 civic organizations ar ...
and urging everyone to register. As RuPaul said voter ID laws
A voter identification law is a law that requires a person to show some form of identification in order to vote. In some jurisdictions requiring photo IDs, voters who do not have photo ID often must have their identity verified by someone else ( ...
vary from state to state; the details of the voter ID required in each state are provided by HeadCount
HeadCount is a national nonprofit organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy in the United States. It is one of the largest voter registration organizations, having registered over 1.2 million voters since launch ...
and VoteRiders
VoteRiders is an American non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to ensure that all U.S. citizens over 18 years old are able to exercise their right to vote. One of its main focuses is assisting citizens who want to secu ...
. As one in five LGBTQ adults are not registered to vote, voter registration efforts have expanded recently. Several stars from ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' act as Ambassadors for Drag Out the Vote.
In March 2023, in response to the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act
The Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act, also known as the Tennessee drag ban, was an anti- drag bill, which banned public "adult cabaret performance" in public or in front of children in the state of Tennessee. The act was vague in what it consi ...
, RuPaul, World of Wonder producers Randy Barbarto and Fenton Bailey, and MTV began a fund to fight anti-drag initiatives. The ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.
...
maintains the fund, which received donations from efforts at DragCon LA 2023, the "Drag Isn't Dangerous" livestream telethon, "Can't Hold us Down", "Born This Way", and "God Save the Queens", as well as a small donation from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets.
The Instagram post RuPaul made prior to the establishment of the fund called on followers to vote, saying, "Register to vote so we can get those stunt queens out of office." The video ends with the statement, "By the way, a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote."
Impact
Lauren Herold of ''Mic.com'' deemed RuPaul "arguably the most commercially successful drag queen in America." Sami Main of ''Adweek'' credited him with creating wider exposure for drag queens from LGBTQ culture
LGBTQ culture is a culture shared by lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals (LGBTQ people). It is sometimes referred to as queer culture (indicating people who are queer), LGBT culture, and LGBTQIA cult ...
into mainstream
Mainstream may refer to:
Film
* ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film
Literature
* ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine
* Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher
* ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso
* ...
society, thanks to his early-career chart success, and later, the successive climb in viewership of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. His talk show ''The RuPaul Show'' was the first-ever national talk show to have a drag queen as a host. Along with his partner Michelle Visage, he welcomed an array of high-profile guests such as Cher
Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
, Lil Kim Lil or LIL may refer to:
Use as a short form of "little" Musicians
*Lill Babs (1938–2018), Swedish musician
* Lil B (born 1989), American rapper
* Lil Baby (born 1994), American rapper
* Lil Bibby (born 1994), American rapper
* Lil Bitts (bo ...
, and Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
over the show's 100-episode span. As well as having a variety of comedy skits
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
, the show was noted for discussing topics such as black empowerment, female empowerment
Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several method, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, equal status in society, ...
, misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
, and liberal politics that were otherwise unheard of in 1990s television at the time. In 1999, RuPaul was awarded the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...
s for work in promoting equality in the LGBTQ community
The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individu ...
.
RuPaul has also been noted as having a large part in ''RuPaul's Drag Race''s continuous television success. By pioneering queer representation on television, many believe RuPaul to have essentially revolutionised the portrayal of the LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
+ community on screen. He first won an Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
for his work on the show in 2016, and one year later the show garnered eight nominations, including for the first time in its 11-season run, and a second consecutive win for RuPaul in the . In 2017, he was included in the annual ''Time'' 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2019, ''Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fate
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
'' noted RuPaul as "easily the world's most famous" drag queen.
Relationship with transgender community
RuPaul has been the subject of multiple controversies regarding his comments and actions towards the transgender community. According to ''Vox'', he has a complicated relationship with this community, in part due to differing philosophies: through drag he seeks to mock gender and identity stereotypes, while in his view the trans community takes identity seriously. Nevertheless, ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' has featured a number of contestants who are trans women
A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...
, including Kylie "Sonique" Love, Carmen Carrera
Carmen Carrera (born April 13, 1985) is an American reality television personality, model, burlesque performer, and actress, known for appearing on the third season of the Logo reality television series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', as well as its spi ...
, Jiggly Caliente
Bianca Castro-Arabejo (November 29, 1980 – April 27, 2025), known professionally as Jiggly Caliente, was a Filipino-American transgender drag performer and entertainer. She rose to prominence competing on the fourth season of ''RuPaul's Drag ...
, Monica Beverly Hillz
Monica Dejesus-Anaya, known by the stage persona Monica Beverly Hillz, is an American drag queen, reality television personality, and transgender activist best known for appearing on the fifth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' in 2013, as well as ...
, Kenya Michaels, and Gia Gunn
Gia Gunn is the stage name of American drag performer Gia Keitaro Ichikawa (born May 10, 1990). She is known for competing on the sixth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', the second season of '' The Switch Drag Race'', and '' RuPaul's Drag Rac ...
, some of whom made their identity public while competing on the show. Later seasons of the show have included contestants who had already disclosed their trans identity prior to their season beginning. In 2017, Peppermint
Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of Mentha, mint, a cross between Mentha aquatica, watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in m ...
became the first contestant to compete throughout her season as an openly trans woman and in 2021 Gottmik
Kade Gottlieb (born August 19, 1996), better known as Gottmik, is an American Drag (clothing), drag performer and make-up artist. Gottmik was the first trans man to compete on ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', coming in shared 3rd/4th place on the RuPaul's ...
was the first to compete as an openly trans man
A trans man or transgender man is a man who was assigned female at birth. Trans men have a male gender identity, and many trans men undergo medical and social transition to alter their appearance in a way that aligns with their gender identi ...
. Other non-conforming gender identities expressed by former contestants include both non-binary
Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...
(Jinkx Monsoon
Hera Lilith Hoffer (born September 18, 1987), best known by the stage name Jinkx Monsoon, is an American drag queen, actress, singer and comedienne, originally from the Pacific Northwest, and perhaps best-known for winning the RuPaul's Drag Race ...
, Aja, Valentina, Divina de Campo
Owen Richard Farrow, known professionally as Divina de Campo, is an English drag queen, singer, and actor, best known for competing in the first series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'', eventually finishing as runner-up.
Early life
Growing up, Farr ...
, Ginny Lemon
Lewis Matthew Lumiere Mandall, Croucher, known professionally as Ginny Lemon, is a British drag performer and recording artist best known for competing on the second series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK''. They are known for their alternative and ...
, Violet Chachki
Violet Chachki is the stage name of Paul Jason Dardo (born June 13, 1992), an American drag queen, burlesque/Aerial dance, aerial Performing arts, performer, Content creation, content creator, model, and Music artist (occupation), recording arti ...
, and Sasha Velour
Alexander "Sasha" Hedges Steinberg (born June 25, 1987), known professionally as Sasha Velour, is an American drag queen, artist, actor, and stage and television producer, based in Brooklyn, New York. Velour is known for winning the ninth seaso ...
) and genderfluid
Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person m ...
(Courtney Act
Shane Gilberto Jenek (born 18 February 1982), better known under the stage name Courtney Act, is an Australian drag queen, singer and television personality. Courtney first came to prominence competing on the first season of ''Australian Idol' ...
and Kelly Mantle
Kelly Leroy Mantle (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, comedian, musician, drag queen, and reality television personality. Mantle appeared as a contestant on the sixth season of the reality TV show ''RuPaul's Drag Race' ...
) persons.
In 2014, trans activists and former contestants Carmen Carrera and Monica Beverly Hillz criticized the show's use of words such as ''tranny
''Tranny'' is a derogatory slur for a transgender person, often specifically a transgender woman.
During the early 2000s, there was some confusion and debate over whether the term was considered as a slur, was considered acceptable, or a reap ...
'' and ''shemale
''Shemale'' (also spelled she-male) is a term most commonly used in the pornography industry to describe trans women or other people with male genitalia and female secondary sex characteristics (including breasts) acquired via hormones or surge ...
'', including the main challenge announcement phrase up to season 6, "You've got she-mail", which they described as transphobic
Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender or transsexual people, or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social ...
. That year's season also included a "Female or She-male" segment that required contestants to guess whether various photographs featured cisgender
The word ''cisgender'' (often shortened to ''cis''; sometimes ''cissexual'') describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not ''transgender''. The prefix '' cis-'' is Latin and ...
"biological women" or "psychological women" (drag queens), causing further criticism. RuPaul and the producers issued a statement promising "to help spread love, acceptance and understanding" and Logo TV removed the "You've got she-mail" phrase from subsequent broadcasts, replacing it instead with the phrase "She done already done had herses." RuPaul criticized those attempting to police his language in bad faith and noted that ''tranny'' referred to transvestites
Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...
and drag queens, not just trans women.
In 2018, RuPaul gave an interview to ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' in which he stated that a post- transition trans woman would "probably not" be accepted onto the show, noting that at the time of competition Peppermint had not yet had breast implant
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenita ...
s. After facing criticism on social media and from former contestants for his remarks, RuPaul compared trans drag queens who had transitioned to athletes who had taken performance-enhancing drugs
Performance-enhancing substances (PESs), also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans.
Many substances, such as anabolic steroids, can be used to improve at ...
. He subsequently expressed regret for the hurt caused by his remarks, and that the only screening criteria for contestants were "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent." Since RuPaul made these statements, multiple transgender contestants have competed and won on the show.
Personal life
RuPaul met painter Georges LeBar in 1994 at the Limelight
The Limelight was a chain of nightclubs owned and operated by Peter Gatien. It had locations in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, London and Hallandale, Florida.
History
Florida and Atlanta locations
Peter Gatien opened the first Limelight n ...
nightclub in New York City. They married in January 2017. They have an open marriage
Open marriage is a form of non-monogamy in which the partners of a dyadic marriage agree that each may engage in extramarital sexual or romantic relationships, without this being regarded by them as infidelity, and consider or establish an ope ...
; RuPaul has said he would not want to "put restraints" on the person he loves. The two split their time between a home in Los Angeles and a ranch in Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
. Environmentalists criticized them in 2020 after RuPaul revealed that they lease mineral rights and sell water to oil companies on their ranch, and allow fracking
Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure inje ...
there. According to public maps, the ranch has at least 35 active wells. RuPaul previously held a climate-themed ball on his show to raise environmental awareness
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecologi ...
, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.
RuPaul publicly endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
in the 2016 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor, Indiana governor Mike P ...
. He expressed dismay at Clinton's defeat by Republican nominee Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, saying, "The America that we have all fought so hard for, the narrative of love and peace and liberty and equality, it feels like it is dead." He has described doing drag as a "very, very political" act because it "challenges the ''status quo''" by rejecting fixed identities: "Drag says 'I'm a shapeshifter, I do whatever the hell I want at any given time'."
RuPaul started smoking cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
at age 10 or 11. Since 1999, he has been sober and has not had alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. In 2020, he found out while appearing on the TV show ''Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'' that he and New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
Senator Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democ ...
are "DNA cousins." In a 2013 interview, RuPaul said, "I'm not religious, but I do have spiritual practices like yoga and meditation and I do pray."
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Supermodel of the World
''Supermodel of the World'' is the debut studio album by American singer and drag queen RuPaul, released on June 8, 1993, by Tommy Boy Records. It is his second album overall, his first release being a soundtrack album. With the release of the ...
'' (1993)
* ''Foxy Lady
"Foxy Lady" (or alternatively "Foxey Lady") is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album '' Are You Experienced'' and was later issued as their third single in the U.S. with the alternate spelling. It is ...
'' (1996)
* ''Ho Ho Ho
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring gifts during the ...
'' (1997)
* '' Red Hot'' (2004)
* ''Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...
'' (2009)
* '' Glamazon'' (2011)
* ''Born Naked
''Born Naked'' is the seventh studio album from American singer-songwriter, actor and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on iTunes and Amazon through RuCo on February 24, 2014, coinciding with the sixth season premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race' ...
'' (2014)
* ''Realness
''Realness'' is the eighth studio album from singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on March 2, 2015 and is RuPaul's first album to feature a Parental Advisory warning label. The album was released to coincide with the seventh season pr ...
'' (2015)
* ''Slay Belles
''Slay Belles'' is the ninth studio album and second Christmas album from American singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released exclusively via iTunes and Amazon on 23 October 2015, through RuPaul's label RuCo. It was also made available to stre ...
'' (2015)
* ''Butch Queen
''Butch Queen'' is the tenth studio album from singer and drag queen RuPaul. It was released on March 4, 2016, just three days prior to the eighth season premiere of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. The album features guest appearances from Ellis Miah, T ...
'' (2016)
* ''American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
'' (2017)
* '' Christmas Party'' (2018)
* ''You're a Winner, Baby
In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers.
History
''You'' comes from ...
'' (2020)
* ''Mamaru
In Māori tradition, ''Tinana'' (also known as ''Te Mamaru'') was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand.
The ''Tinana'' canoe, later renamed ''Te Māmaru'', is particularly im ...
'' (2022)
* ''Black Butta
''Black Butta'' is the fifteenth studio album by RuPaul, released on January 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances Skeltal Ki and Eric Kupper, with the songs "Star Baby" and "Show Me That You Festive" released as the lead singles in Nove ...
'' (2023)
* ''Essential Christmas
''Essential Christmas'' is a holiday album by RuPaul, released in 2023. The album is a compilation of tracks from previous Christmas projects, plus a new song called "Baby Doll".
Composition
"Brand New Year" previously appeared on RuPaul's alb ...
'' (2023)
Filmography
Film
Short films
Television
Music videos
Awards and nominations
RuPaul has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
for which he was inducted in 2018. In 2019 he became the first drag queen inducted into the California Hall of Fame
The California Hall of Fame is an institution created in 2006 by Maria Shriver to honor important Californians. The award was designed by Californian artists Robert Graham (sculptor), Robert Graham. The hall is located in The California Museum i ...
. He has also won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, including 8 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition program. This makes him the most awarded in the category as well as the most-awarded person of color in Emmy history. His other notable accolades include a Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
, two ''Billboard'' Music Awards, four Canadian Screen Awards
The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...
, ten Critics' Choice Real TV Awards
The Critics' Choice Real TV Awards are accolades for nonfiction, unscripted and reality television content presented by the Critics Choice Association
The Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) ...
, a Critics' Choice Award, four GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...
s including the GLAAD Vito Russo Award
The GLAAD Vito Russo Award is a special GLAAD Media Award presented annually by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. It is named in honor of Vito Russo, a founding member of GLAAD, and presented to an openly LGBT media professional who h ...
in 1999, and five Producers Guild of America Awards
The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to ...
.
In 2020, a species of Australian soldier fly
The soldier flies (Stratiomyidae, sometimes misspelled as Stratiomyiidae, from Greek - soldier; - fly) are a family of flies (historically placed in the now-obsolete group Orthorrhapha). The family contains over 2,700 species in over 380 exta ...
was named ''Opaluma rupaul
''Opaluma rupaul'' is a species of Australian soldier fly, first described in 2020. Specimens of ''O. rupaul'' had been previously collected but left unstudied and were misidentified as belonging to the genus '' Lecomyia''.
Description
''O. rupau ...
''. The name was chosen in reference to the fly's "costume of shiny metallic rainbow colours." Other species described in the same article were named ''O. ednae'' (after fellow drag queen Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and portrayed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, ...
) and ''O. fabulosa''.
Books
*
*
*
*
See also
* LGBTQ culture in New York City
New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. Brian Silverman, the author of ''F ...
* List of LGBTQ people from New York City
New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem. It is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ populations. LGBTQ Americans in New York City cons ...
* List of number-one dance hits (United States)
''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine has published Billboard charts, charts ranking the top-performing dance music songs in the United States since 1974. Originally a top-ten list of tracks that garnered the largest audience response in N ...
* List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* NYC Pride March
The NYC Pride March is an annual event celebrating the LGBT culture in New York City, LGBTQ community in New York City#Sexual orientation and gender identity, New York City. The largest pride parade and the List of largest LGBT events, larges ...
Explanatory notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1960 births
20th-century African-American male singers
20th-century American LGBTQ people
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
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Activists from Atlanta
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Drag performers from New York City
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Living people
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