The Fierce Ladies of Delaware Pride

 

Top: Gracie Freebush hosting & performing. Bottom: Ms. Serena F. Walker with a fan.

Last month I did attend the Delaware Pride Afterparty, and as I am wont to do, I brought along my camera and took some pictures. Before we all had live music from Kat Solar and Derek Nicoletto, the great queen of Delaware Pride took their turn in the spotlight. The party was hosted by the wonderful Miss Red Star 2012, Gracie Freebush. She masterfully kicked off the evening with a medley of Cher songs, including "If I Could Turn Back Time". She certainly put her all into the performance, much to the delight of the crowd.

Gracie started the performance with a big and bold wrap, in the colors of the rainbow flag. But soon, she was donning her fishnets and leather jacket and working the floor like the Academy Award winner she is. Serena F. Walker made her entrance to a Taylor Swift song, I think it was "Love Story". Serena looked lovely in her tight satin dress, deep blue with some shiny embellishments.

Top: Veronica Kitten on the left, and Miss Delaware Pride 2012 Ashley Lynn on the right. Bottom, the delightful Ms. Whitley Nycole DeAire.

Veronica Kitten was beautiful as she posed her way around the dance floor, meeting and greeting her fans along the way. Miss Ashley Lynn, who earlier in the day had been named Miss Delaware Pride 2012, attacked the dance floor, making her fierce moves for all to enjoy. Whitley Nycole DeAire, Miss Reading Pride Celebration 2012, came out in a fetching pink and silver dress with the most amazing peacock feathers, performing to Annie Lennox's "Little Bird".

And, last but not least, Danielle Revlon came out to deliver sweet, sexy, and just a touch naughty. She delivered it all, and that must be way she was named Miss Unlimited At Large for 2012.

Miss Danielle Revlon

A Draglicious Friday Night

Featuring the music of: (Clockwise) Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, and Cher.

Is there anything better than a Friday night out at the bars, watching a great drag queen? The smell of the hairspray, pancake makeup, and spilled drinks, along with the sound of ice cubes tinkling in the drinks. Across this country, there are countless ladyboys, young and old, who are out there lip synching for a living! Well, at least some extra spending money. Well, I wanted to bring that thrill to you, here on the blog. And I will start with a queen by the name of Mahlae, who does an amazing Beyoncé as she performs Single Ladies.



Now if I remember correctly, and Gawd only knows my memory can get me in trouble these days, I think one of the first drag shows I ever saw had a performer doing the incredible Tina Turner. I went to a show in Reading, PA, when I was in college, and there was a queen giving great Tina realness. This is Batty Davis doing Proud Mary.



I don't know if a drag show has existed since 1970 that did not include at least one queen coming out doing Cher. Whether it was the 1960s Cher, the 70s Cher, or whatever decade Cher, there are so many who do her, making their best attempt at wearing Bob Mackie. Here is Chad Michaels serving amazing Cher realness singing Take Me Home. This was way before you could catch Chad on before RuPaul's Drag Race.



And since the mid-1960s, you know Barbra has been a features performer at every drag show. Whether is was lip synching to My Man, People, or Don't Rain On My Parade. And, since about 1979, there was a new opportunity out there. The Barbra queens could share the stage with the Donna Summer queens and sing the disco hit, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough). Catch this cute performance by Dizzy & Barbara.



And, finally, no drag show would be complete without having their very own Bette Midler. It could be the one from Clams On The Half Shell, The Rose, or Doris DeLago, like a bad penny, Bette is bound to show up. Watch as Chelsea Raynes performs as Bette singing Stuff Like That There, from the For The Boys period.



Hope you all enjoyed the show!

Disco Divalicious

Clockwise from top left: France Joli, Diana Ross, Cher & Donna Summer

1979 was an interesting year in music, some incredibly strong women made their way to dance music, and if you were going to hit the clubs, you'd be dancing to these songs. one of those women was a big-voiced Canadian from Montreal, who had the club-goers buzzing trying to figure out who she was. I remember people saying they heard she was the younger sister of Barbra Streisand, but that, of course, was not true. Before fame found her, she did sing to Streisand records, but that is where it ended. I remember seeing her at Spectrum, the club in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where Saturday Night Fever was shot. It was a gay dance club in the late 80s when I would go there. And one of teh songs she sang at the club was her 1979 hit, Come To Me.



Diva extraordinaire Donna Summer was discovered while singing background for the rock band Three Dog Night, and immediately started working with producer Giorgio Moroder, and together they started making history in 1974. In 1979, Summer ruled the charts with several songs, including two she often sang together, Bad Girls/Hot Stuff.



Although she first came to the attention of public over a decade before, as part of a duo with her husband, Sonny. In 1979, Cher had a huge hit with the song Take Me Home, her foray into the world of disco, as only Cher could deliver. And it certainly wasn't her last hit, as she had plenty of juice left for a few more decades of music...



Is there a bigger Diva in the world than Miss Diana Ross? Perhaps Ms. Streisand could give her a run, but I still think that perhaps the title remains with Ross. In 1979, she let the world know who she really was with the release of the dance hit, The Boss. Yep, she was the boss, and we all made our way to the dance floor on her orders.

Dark Monday - I Heart NY

Way back when, New York introduced an ad campaign for tourism. It seemed like everything aligned when the now icon tune "I Love New York" is heard, made only better by some of the bets voices on Broadway. Not only did tourism boom once again, but the sales of simple logo for I<3NY was amazing.

Check out this version form 1982 - look at Liza, getting ready to go to Studio 54! And Cher! And so many others!

Worth Another Listen - Sonny & Cher

In 1964, a couple had their first real national success with the song Baby Don't Go. Sonny & Cher, who had tried to make a go of it using the name Caesar & Cleo, recorded the song written by Sonny. So after a few years of real struggle, the couple were on their way. The song made it to #69 on the Pop charts, a real score for them. Here it is, Baby Don't Go.



The following year, they scored a hit with a song that became their trademark, I Got You Babe. Once again, the song was written and produced by Sonny Bono, and sung to perfection by the duo. The song went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned them a place in music history.



In 1966, they recorded a song that was originally written by the French team of composer Gilbert Bécaud and lyricist Pierre Delanoë. The song, Et Maintenant (And Now?), was translated by Carl Sigman and became What Now My Love. Sony & Cher's version made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.



If there was a song that could give I Got You Babe a run for it's money as their signature song, in 1967 they recorded another song written by Sonny, The Beat Goes On. It made it to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a hit all around the world. The lyrics were topical and noting the changes that were happening in the tumultuous years of the 60s, appealing to young and old alike.



In 1969, they had their pride and joy, daughter Chastity. She would go with them everywhere, and often join them at the end of shows. By 1975, the couple had divorced, although they remained an 'entertainment couple' for several years following the separation. Both went on to remarry, and have other children. Cher established a big music career as a solo artist, as well as an actress. For her role in the 1987 film Moonstruck, she was given the Academy Award as Best Actress. Sonny went into politics, and was elected mayor of Palm Springs before being elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican Senator from California. He died after being involved in a skiing accident in 1998. And, of course, over the past few years, Chastity became Chaz, now one of the most famous transgendered people in the world.

Happy Veterans Day!

Clockwise from Top Left: White Christmas scene, Cher, Village People & Gene Simmons & Friends.

As we in the United States give our thanks to the men and women who have served this country in the armed forces. And by saying that, I mean all people, gay and str8. I thought I would try to celebrate it the way I do best here at this blog, with music. One of my favorite military-themed musical numbers comes from the movie White Christmas. The song, Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army, featured the musical talents of Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. It had quite the sense of humor, and some fun music and props!



Of course, few tributes to the men and women in the armed forces could top Cher's in her video for If I Could Turn Back Time. I mean, what means military more than an aircraft carrier, a group of sailers in their dress whites, a woman in a body stocking with a well-placed ribbon and a leather jacket? Not to mention the rather large and protruding artillery...



Gene Simmons had his own tribute to the armed forces a couple of years ago, although it was not as sexy as Cher's, it was still heart-felt and quite fun.



Of course, I would be unable to do this post without the tribute to the armed forces from the Village People, and their iconic In The Navy. Unlike in Cher's video, I would have to think the appearance on the battleship was not endorsed by the Navy, but the flag routine is worth the cost of admission!



Happy Veteran's Day!