RuPaul Andre Charles, known mononymously as RuPaul, is an American drag queen, television judge, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race, he has received several accolades, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Tony Award nomination. RuPaul was born in San Diego, California, on November 17, 1960. When his parents divorced in 1967, he and his three sisters lived with their mother. He was raised in the Catholic faith and attended Patrick Henry High school. At 15, RuPaul and his sister Renetta moved to study performing arts in Atlanta, Georgia. In the ensuing years, RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s, where he worked at Atlanta’s famed Plaza Theatre. In 1982, he debuted on an Atlanta public access variety show called The American Music Show, on which he made frequent appearances over the years.

In 1993, RuPaul recorded the dance/house album Supermodel of the World. It was released through the rap label Tommy Boy, spawning the dance track hit “Supermodel (You Better Work)”. The music video was an unexpected success on MTV channel.  The song peaked at 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. It charted on the UK Singles Chart, peaking on the top 40 at 39. The song found the most success on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it peaked at 2. Radio airplay, heavy rotation of the music video on MTV and television appearances on popular programs like The Arsenio Hall Show popularized the song. RuPaul has been sober from alcohol and drugs since 1999, having started smoking marijuana at age 10 or 11.  In 1999, RuPaul was awarded the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for work in promoting equality in the LGBT community.