A SIMPLE GIRL WITH A DREAM
I have one thing to say – RuPaul Andre Charles was an unlikely success story to say the very least. As a young drag queen in San Diego, his parents’ marriage ended in a bitter divorce when he was seven years old. Raised in a household of females, Ru became obsessed with fashion, style and music. Those interests, and a desire to be famous, drove him into a career in show business. His career, however, would take years of personal and professional turmoil to finally come to its star-spangled, glittering zenith.
In the early 1980’s, to set himself apart, Ru began to adopt the underground drag style known as “genderfuck.” In January of 1982, he appeared with his group RuPaul and the U-hauls on “The American Music Show”, an Atlanta public access show. This small notoriety landed the fledgling group an opening act slot with popular local group Now Explosion. Inspired by appearances in New York City, Ru began to plaster midtown Atlanta with posters promoting himself as a performer and all-around personality. The Xerox technique worked and in January of 1983 Ru was asked to join a new group with the classy moniker Wee Wee Pole. Despite his growing popularity and playing at the local new wave and punk clubs, Ru spent 1983 homeless.
After Wee Wee Pole broke up in 1984, the always ingenious Ru became an underground filmmaker and movie star. “Trilogy of Terror” (and its two sequels) was filmed with zero budget on a home video camera and featured Ru’s first on-screen appearance in drag. In July of 1984, the “RuPaul is Red Hot Revue” played New York City’s famous “Pyramid Club” and “Danceteria.” Ru remained in New York until the end of 1984 after spending months at other people’s apartments and even sleeping in Central Park. After returning to Atlanta in 1985, Ru recorded tracks for the Funtone Records U.S.A. EP titled “Sex Freak.” The release did little to further Ru’s grab for success. Also in 1985, Ru joined a production of “The Rocky Horror Show” and became a go-go dancer at a local discotheque. (more…)
