...and the rest is DRAG

I will never forget it. Picture this – it’s 2008 and I am dancing the night away to some RuPaul song. There was this drag queen that I had my eye on because she was known for her impeccable lip sync -Tracy Savage.

First, let me tell you about Tracy. Ms. Savage was a Hawaiian queen living in Las Vegas and was most known for her Eartha Kitt impersonation. I would gag when I saw here perform “Champagne Taste” by Eartha. I remember giving her all my spending money one evening because her performance was so on point. She smoked cigarettes and like to drink Heineken beer. She was loud, fun and was always the life of the party. 

Back to the night at Charlies – I was dancing around; really feeling the vibe and a magical moment happened. Ms. Tracy Savage came up to me and said something along the lines of “Girl, I see you out here twirling on this stage (it was just a dance floor)– have you ever done drag?” Truth be told, I thought I had done drag before, but I quickly learned I had no idea. I told her no, and she asked me if I would be interested. We went back and forth about it. I remember telling my then-boyfriend, Adam, I think I want to do drag. The rest was literal herstory.

Within two weeks, Tracy had me in “dragons” as we called it. It was a Tuesday night, which was BINGO night at Charlies. I pulled up serving a full librarian look. Yellow top, black pencil skirt, stockings and a peep toe pump. Honey! I was getting my whole life. When I tiptoed through the entry and was asked for my ID – I was stunned. Surely, they knew who I was – right? No! I was feeling the complete fantasy and you couldn’t tell me shit! 

As I began to perform more, I began to experience a level of confidence that I’ve never experienced before. It was not until much later I realized this was a false sense of Confidence that was upkept by hiding behind the character. BUT! It showed me that this level of confidence was possible.

Drag saved my life, because it allowed me to experience life through completely different eyes (… and heels). This taught me how to connect with my surroundings and also gave me a glimpse of what I now know to be my YOUnicorn Power. Once the YOUnicorn Power was unleashed, I began to walk in Next Level Confidence. That changed everything.

Tracy passed away in 2012, and that is when I hung up my heels, but I am forever grateful for what she taught me – some of which she may never know she did.

Norman J. Liverpool IV is the Founder of Over the Top Living, a signature mentorship program designed for LGBTQ+ Millennials. For more information, visit www.OvertheTopLiving.com.