RuPaul

Today's story is like a fairy tale - and like a fairy tale, it has a happy ending. So far, at least.

RuPaul Andre Charles was born and raised in San Diego, California (b. 1960). At the age of 15, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia to study performing arts. In the ensuing years, RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s. In Atlanta, RuPaul often performed at the Celebrity Club as a bar dancer or with his band, Wee Wee Pole. RuPaul's first prominent United States national exposure came in 1989 with an extra role dancing in the video for Love Shack by The B-52's.

In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. He then moved to New York City, where he performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several nightclubs, most notably the Pyramid Club.

In 1993 RuPaul recorded the dance/house album Supermodel of the World which included the surprise dance hit Supermodel (You Better Work). It peaked at #2 in the US Dance chart, at #45 in the Hot 100 and at #39 in the UK.

Back to My Roots, from the same album, peaked at #1 in the US Dance chart.

The same happened with A Shade Shady (Now Prance).

RuPaul was now a success story: Elton John asked him to work together on a remake of Don't Go Breaking My Heart. It made #7 in the UK chart.

RuPaul was signed to a modeling contract for MAC Cosmetics, making him the first drag queen supermodel. 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. He promoted that book in part with a 1995 guest appearance on ABC's All My Children, in a storyline that put it on the set of Erica Kane's talk show "The Cutting Edge".

The next year he landed a talk show of his own on VH1, called The RuPaul Show, interviewing celebrity guests and musical acts. Diana Ross, Nirvana, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Mary J. Blige, Bea Arthur, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton-John, Beenie Man, Pete Burns, Bow Wow Wow, and the Backstreet Boys were notable guests. His co-host was Michelle Visage, with whom he also co-hosted on WKTU radio. On one episode, RuPaul featured guests Chi Chi LaRue and Tom Chase speaking about the gay porn industry.

In 1996 he also released his second album, Foxy Lady. Despite his growing celebrity, he failed to chart within the Billboard 200. However, the first single Snapshot peaked at #4 in the US Dance chart.

In 1997 he released a Christmas album called Ho, Ho, Ho. From this album, here's I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus.

During this time, he had guest appearances in many films, also appearing in TV commercials and magazine ads.

He also teamed with Martha Wash for a remake of It's Raining Men.

In 2004, RuPaul released his fourth album, Red Hot on his own label. It received some dance radio and club play, but very little press coverage. He was disappointed by the press' treatment and said: "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."

Despite limited press coverage, single Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous peaked at #2 in the US Dance chart.

In mid-2008, RuPaul began producing RuPaul's Drag Race, a reality television game show which aired on Logo in February 2009. The premise of the program has several drag queens compete to be selected by RuPaul and a panel of judges as "America's next drag superstar". The show, perhaps the best ambassador of Trans Culture for mainstream audiences, was very successful. It is still on today, more than 7 years later. In the meantime, he got involved with other TV shows and guested in many.

He still found time to release music: in 2009, RuPaul released the album Champion. From this album, here's Jealous of My Boogie:

In 2011, RuPaul released his sixth studio album Glamazon. Here's Sexy Drag Queen:

In fall of 2013, RuPaul joined forces with cosmetic manufacturers Colorevolution to launch his debut make-up line featuring ultra-rich pigment cosmetics and a beauty collection. Released alongside the line was a unisex perfume entitled "Glamazon".

In 2014 he released his next album, Born Naked, his most commercially successful. It peaked at #4 in the US Dance chart and at #85 in the Top 200. It contained, among others, a song called Geronimo:

2015 saw the release of the album Realness. Here's a track called, appropriately for the purpose of this blog, LGBT.

In October of the same year he released his second Christmas album, Slay Belles and 4 months later he released his latest album, so far, called Butch Queen. First single from the album was U Wear It Well:

RuPaul is noted among drag queens for his indifference toward the gender-specific pronouns used to address him—both "he" and "she" have been deemed acceptable, as stated in his autobiography: "You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don't care! Just as long as you call me."

RuPaul has also played men in a number of roles, and makes public appearances both in and out of drag. In 1999, RuPaul was awarded the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for work in promoting equality in the LGBT community.

Despite having a very public persona, Rupaul keeps his private life to himself. The only time he appears in drag is when he is getting paid. He has revealed in interviews that he has been with his partner, Georges Lebar, for 19 years, and that Georges runs a 50-acre ranch in Wyoming. Here they are, together: