Symone Talks Being Inspired by ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ First Performance – Billboard

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 winner Symone talks about her start in drag, performing for the first time and more for our Billboard Pride cover with Maren Morris.

Symone:
At 18, I went to an amateur night at the club back home in Arkansas. I stepped on that stage, honey — the lights, the cameras hit me. And it was over from there.

Symone on how she got into drag:
I was watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and I was about 15, 16 years old, and I had a job at the time. And I would save up my money, and I just started putting on makeup because, you know, I wanted to look good. You know, I was like, “If I’m doing it, I’m gonna look good in the face.” So I did that for a while. Then I went to my prom — went to my senior prom in drag. That was the first time I stepped out in drag in full regalia. And then at 18, I went to an amateur night at the club back home in Arkansas. And I stepped on that stage honey, the lights, the cameras hit me. And it was over from there.

Symone on the first song she performed in drag:
“Domino” by Jessie J. And there’s no specific reason why — it was just because at the time I loved it. And it was just what got me going, and I wore that song out.

Symone on her signature drag number:
It’s either Tina Turner’s “Disco Inferno,” or it’s my Whitney medley, my 11-minute Whitney medley I do. I shut it down.

Symone on musicians who have inspired her:
Whitney Houston, of course. Tina Turner, Rihanna, Lil Kim and Diana Ross.

Watch the full video above!