How RuPaul Paved the Way for the Art of Drag to Be Celebrated by the Masses

hit it big in TV. But while he was on the road to becoming a household name and multiple Emmy winner, the host and executive producer of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” never doubted that he was destined for small-screen success.

“It was a revolution,” RuPaul says of those early public access appearances, some of which can be found on YouTube. “We were the children of television doing it our way in this post-modern, Warhol-esque, John Waters-style that was very punk rock.” Moreover, RuPaul is essential as a hands-on executive producer of “Drag Race” with Bailey and Barbato.

RuPaul’s natural ability to bring out the life stories of the “Drag Race” performers was a crucial reason why the show was picked up by Logo. Producer Brian Graden was overseeing the LGBTQ-centric cabler, which was barely three years old at the time “Drag Race” was greenlit in 2008. Barbato and Bailey first met RuPaul in 1985 when all three were broke and just starting to claw their way into entertainment industry careers while living in Manhattan’s East Village. It was a heady time, overflowing with future celebrities, artists and ground-breaking works. Even in this environment, RuPaul stood out — and not just because of his 6-foot-4 frame.

RuPaul then took a long break from his career between 1999 and 2004. He had, by his own admission, lost the fire in his belly to pursue the business of being RuPaul. Initially, “Drag Race” was shopped to a handful of cable outlets, but RuPaul knew when he was in the room with Bailey and Barbato at Logo that the show would be a go. Graden and his team, which included Dave Mace, now executive vice president of Brian Graden Media, gave World of Wonder and RuPaul the confidence that they understood their vision for the show. “Everything we set out to do is exactly what happened,” RuPaul says.

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