RuPaul

Born on November 17, 1960, in San Diego, California, RuPaul Andre Charles was raised by his mother Ernestine 'Toni' Charles, who named him after roux (the Creole base for gumbo) because she said he was going to be spicy. Moving to Atlanta at fifteen to live with his sister, RuPaul studied performing arts and entered the local music and underground club scene, fronting punk-funk bands and appearing on public-access television. Moving to New York City in the mid-1980s, RuPaul became a fixture of the East Village nightclub scene and was crowned the 'Queen of Manhattan' in 1989. In 1993, RuPaul achieved international superstardom with his infectious dance anthem 'Supermodel (You Better Work)', reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and becoming an MTV staple. Embraced by the mainstream, RuPaul became the first drag queen to secure a major cosmetics contract as the inaugural spokesperson for the MAC AIDS Fund (Viva Glam) in 1994, raising tens of millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research and care. In 1996, he hosted 'The RuPaul Show' on VH1, one of the first national talk shows hosted by an openly gay drag performer. In 2009, RuPaul created and launched the reality competition series 'RuPaul's Drag Race' on Logo TV (later transitioning to VH1 and MTV). Combining fashion, comedy, theatrical lip-syncing, and deeply vulnerable discussions of queer history and identity, the show became an international cultural phenomenon, spawning international franchises across the UK, Australia, France, Spain, and beyond. As executive producer and host, RuPaul has won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most decorated Black artist in Primetime Emmy history. RuPaul was named to Time magazine's 100 most influential people list in 2017 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.