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July 26, 2019 - CAMP Stories by Rich Barnett

Roxy Overbrooke

 

Interview with the Diva

Have you ever wondered what your drag name would be if it were you up on the stage and lip synching for your life? C’mon, tell the truth. I’ll admit I have. Using the tried and true method of combining my first dog’s name and the street I lived on, my drag name would be Miss JoJo Galway.

Do drag queens really pick a name that way? Well child, Blue Moon diva Roxy Overbrooke is living proof that the dog/street methodology is not an urban myth. I heard it straight from her lips one evening when I had the pleasure of chatting her up while she was getting dolled up to host Drag Karaoke at the Blue Moon.

As it was told to me, a young Charles Bounds from Salisbury, Maryland, was entering his first official drag pageant. He had the perfect outfit but hadn’t settled upon the ideal name for his drag persona. The clock was ticking. Need being the mother of invention, Charles simply combined Roxy, the name of his family’s teacup Yorkie, with the street where he grew up. Voila. A star was born.

As the theme of this issue of Letters is “Heroes,” and with it being the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, I thought it a perfect time to show our boys in drag some appreciation. So without further ado, here’s more from my chat with Miss Roxy Overbrooke, one of the hardest working divas of Rehoboth.

I’m a big fan of your style. To whom does Roxy look for her drag inspiration?

My style is definitely old school: a beautiful gown, a big wig, and fabulous jewelry. Then I get on stage and belt out a song by one of the divas I admire. I study the words, the moves, and the styles of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Billie Holliday, and Ella Fitzgerald. Of course, I keep up with what’s current in music and pop culture because as a drag queen you have to. But I’m definitely a “gown girl.”

Tell our readers about your journey to becoming a professional entertainer.

As a boy in Salisbury, I sang in church and in the school choir. I also studied music in college. When it comes to hair and makeup, I’m self-taught. I’d sit and watch my grandmother, mother, and aunties when they were dressing up. I studied magazine photos and I watched movies. Then in high school, I started doing all my girlfriends’ hair. Deep down, I’ve always been a performer. When I was young, I’d direct and star in neighborhood shows I staged on my mother’s front porch.

Finally, I put it all together and started doing drag officially. That was back in 2007. My first performance at the Blue Moon was two years later when Bump, the gay and lesbian travel and lifestyle TV series, featured Rehoboth Beach and the drag show at the Blue Moon. I’ve been here since and I feel blessed to do what I love professionally, full-time, for an establishment with such a strong commitment to entertainment.

And in these times we live, we sure need some entertainment. Drag has always been about pushing boundaries and turning society’s rules upside down. But it’s also about suspending time and helping people escape the madness going on in the world.

Speaking of time, how long does it take to transform Charles into Roxy?

About two hours. Makeup takes the longest time. For hair, I usually combine two or three wigs because I believe bigger is better. My costume is quite complicated with tights, a body suit, breast forms, and a gown. During the weekend shows, I’ll do up to four costume changes. Each look takes about 15 minutes to put on so I have to move fast.

What does Roxy do when she’s not performing?

She likes a cocktail! One Rose Kennedy please!

Seriously, though, I have a great group of friends. We go to the beach and out to eat. Rehoboth has so many good restaurants and the people here are extremely nice and friendly to socialize with.

I chill out by watching TV. I’m currently obsessed with Pose. The producers and actors do a great job of bringing New York’s underground drag ball history to life through great story lines, costume, and dialogue. I especially like the actor Billy Porter, who emcees the balls. I’ve been following his career for quite awhile. That gown he wore to the Emmys was flawless. Don’t laugh, but I also like 90s sitcoms, especially A Different World, Golden Girls, Living Single, and Will and Grace.

Any final words of wisdom?

Find what you love to do and then commit to getting better at it each and every day. ▼

Rich Barnett is the author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town, and Fun with Dick and James.

‹ July 26, 2019 - CAMP Insight by Glen Pruitt up July 26, 2019 - It's My Life by Michael Thomas Ford ›

Past Issues

Issues Index

  • November 15, 2019 - Issue Index
  • October 18, 2019 - Issue Index
  • September 20, 2019 - Issue Index
  • August 23, 2019 - Issue Index
  • August 9, 2019 - Issue Index
  • July 26, 2019 - Issue Index
    • July 26, 2019 - Cover-to-cover with ISSUU
    • July 26, 2019 - The Way I See It by Murray Archibald
    • July 26, 2019 - In Brief
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMPmatters by Murray Archibald
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Out by Fay Jacobs
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP News
    • July 26, 2019 - Sundance!
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Insight by Glen Pruitt
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Stories by Rich Barnett
    • July 26, 2019 - It's My Life by Michael Thomas Ford
    • July 26, 2019 - Intentionally Inclusive by Wesley Combs
    • July 26, 2019 - Local Heroes
    • July 26, 2019 - President's View by Chris Beagle
    • July 26, 2019 - Candidate Statements
    • July 26, 2019 - Community News
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Cheers!
    • July 26, 2019 - Sporty Gals by Anita Pettitt
    • July 26, 2019 - Heroes at Work by Michael Gilles
    • July 26, 2019 - Out & Proud by Stefani Deoul
    • July 26, 2019 - We Remember
    • July 26, 2019 - Health and Wellness by Marj Shannon
    • July 26, 2019 - Historical Headliners by Ann Aptaker
    • July 26 2019 - CAMPshots Gallery 3
    • July 26 2019 - CAMPshots Gallery 4
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMPshots Gallery 1
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMPshots Gallery 2
    • July 26, 2019 - The Real Dirt by Eric W. Wahl
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Critters
    • July 26, 2019 - Out & About by Eric C. Peterson
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Arts by Doug Yetter
    • July 26, 2019 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer
    • July 26, 2019 - CAMP Dates - July 26- August 11
  • July 12, 2019 - Issue Index
  • June 28, 2019 - Issue Index
  • June 14, 2019 - Issue Index
  • May 31, 2019 - Issue Index
  • May 17, 2019 - Issue Index
  • May 3, 2019 - Issue Index
  • April 12, 2019 - Issue Index
  • March 8, 2019 - Issue Index
  • February 8, 2019 - Issue Index

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