Alaska, Courtney Act & Willam • Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man This Christmas)

Now, I don't think anyone can bring holiday cheer quite like a trio of drag queens. And I had to look no further than the alumni of RuPaul's Drag Race to find the new single from Willam (Season Four), Alaska Thunderfuck (Season Five), and Courtney Act (Season Six), the stars of the music video for "Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man This Christmas)". The song was written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer for The Weather Girls for their 1983 album, 'Success', which also gave the world the classic "It's Raining Men". It is a powerful song, and both Courtney and Willam prove they can sing, and Alaska can bring her own special blend of humor and drama to complete the trio. This is Alaska, Courtney Act and Willam singing "Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man This Christmas)".

Uproarious and outrageous, I can't get enough of the song. You bet it went into my Christmas playlist! And now I know exactly what I want for Christmas this year... You can purchase "Dear Santa, Bring Me A Man" from iTunes and Amazon. For more about Alaska Thunderfuck, visit her on her official website, Facebook page, and Twitter page. For more about Courtney Act, visit her official website, Facebook page, and Twitter page. For more about Willam, visit her official website, Facebook page, and Twitter page.

Jim Bailey as Phyllis, Peggy, Barbra & Judy

In many ways, I am totally surprised there is essentially one drag queen star at the moment, the lovely RuPaul. I remember back to my youth, not only were there several drag queens, although they were often billed as 'illusionists' at the time, all performing on stage and on television. There was the amazing Charles Pierce, and the fantastic Craig Russell, and both could be seen on variety shows, and touring all the time. And then there was Jim Bailey, the boy from Philadelphia who was truly remarkable on many levels. Not only could he use makeup well enough to look like several stars, he also had the ability to sound like them as well. For Bailey, there was not going to be any "lip-sync for your life' moments, as he just belted the songs out on his own. One of Jim's earliest successes was his impersonation of comedian Phyllis Diller, which caught the eye of many. That would include Diller herself, who befriended the young performer, and gave him tips. Here is Jim Bailey as Phyllis Diller doing some comedy as part of the show 'Here's Lucy'.

That episode aired in November of 1972. It is said Lucy had seen Bailey performing in Los Angeles, and decided she had to have him on her shows. The two continued to be friends until her death in 1989. Phyllis Diller was not the only star Bailey had in his repertoire. It seems he was particularly fond of the vocal stylings of Miss Peggy Lee. I must admit, few could sing like Miss Lee did, for she had such a distinct and stunning flair. This is Jim Bailey as Peggy Lee with "Fever".

Of course, I don't know if there were any drag queens performing in the 1970s who didn't do Barbra Streisand. With her dressing style and her quirky mannerisms, it was like she was asking to have the queens do her. And for as long as I sent to drag shows, it is tough to remember when I didn't see a queen with long nails and crossed eyes lip syncing to a song. Of course, Bailey took it a step further, when he not only looked like her, but sounded like her as well. In February of 1971, Bailey appeared on the 'Carol Burnett Show', where he performed as Streisand. This is Jim Bailey as Barbra Streisand singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" with Carol Burnett.

But Bailey was perhaps best known for his impression of the iconic performer, Judy Garland. It was said that when Bailey was performing in Los Angeles, the list of luminaries in the audience was impressive. One night in the mid-1960s, while performing his Judy impersonation, Judy herself got out of her seat to join him on stage, and they sang "Bye Bye Blackbird", and the crowd loved it. I can't say for sure that is true, but it should be. It was also said that Judy had a great time, and the two became friends up until Garland's passing in 1969. This is Jim Bailey as Judy Garland with "The Man That Got Away".

It should come as no surprise Judy befriended a drag queen, for the diva loved her gays. She even married Liza off to one, Peter Allen! And, lest we forget, Judy's passing is one of the contributing factors to the Stonewall Riots, when the drag queens fought back against the Police in Greenwich Village less than a week later. And speaking of Judy and Liza, in 1973, she teamed up with Bailey to reproduce the show she and her mother did at the London Palladium. They performed it at The Flamingo in Las Vegas, and it was a tremendous success. To learn more about Jim Bailey, visit his official website.

Panti Bliss Explains it All

Panti Bliss is a well known personality in Ireland, and seems to be getting more attention with each passing day. Panti, a respected drag artist, considered the best Dublin has to offer, has long been an outspoken proponent of equality. Recently, when speaking about LGBT rights and the discussions some conservatives have on the topic on RTE (Radio [and] Television of Ireland), Panti called them out as homophobic, which seems to has upset the seemingly sensitive bigots. Go figure. RTE issued an apology on behalf of the station for what Panti said, and paid money to the bigots to make sure their anti-gay stance made them wealthier. In the clip below, Panti gives her view on what occurred.

Well said, Panti! It is good to see the conservatives in Ireland seem to be just as thin-skinned as those here in the United States, quick to whine when someone stands up to them. If you weren't paying attention to the actual facts, you might believe they must suffer lives of persecution. Well, unless you really go by what is actually happening. To learn more about Panti Bliss, you can visit her official blog. You can also 'follow' her on Twitter, and 'like' her on Facebook.

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!

Jackie Beat - Comedy Stylings with Songs

I thought I should start out the new year with a laugh, and am not sure it can get much better than with drag queen Jackie Beat. Jackie does comedy, and has a really great voice. I should mention that Jackie does comedy for adults, so the language might be a tad strong for some, and just over the top for others. I, on the other hand, find it just right, and hysterical. Love her! Check out Jackie's take on the old Billy Ocean song, Tired Old Queen...



There are times when Jackie seems to be auditioning to be the next Bond girl. Check her out doing her very best Shirley Bassey when she covers the classic Bond theme song, Dildos Are Forever...



To celebrate the New Year, Jackie sings a song by Prince, 1999. Needless to say, Jackie puts her own very special spin on the song when she updates it to 2012.



And, of course, what would life be if Jackie couldn't sing a tribute to Lady GaGa? I mean, her mash-up of Just Dance and Poker Face, and somehow, managed to make GaGa's songs even gayer. Who'd a thunk it?



To find out more about Jackie Beat, check out her FaceBook fan page here. There is also a FaceBook page to get Jackie more time on LOGO here. I think the world could really use hearing more from Jackie Beat!