Sharon Needles | |
|---|---|
 Needles at Christmas Queens 2018 | |
| Born | Aaron Robert Coady[1] (1981-11-28)November 28, 1981 (age 43) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | RuPaul's Drag Race(season 4) winner |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels |
|
| Website | sharonneedles |
Musical artist | |
Sharon Needles (born November 28, 1981) is thestage name ofAaron Robert Coady, an Americandrag performer and recording artist. Needles rose to international attention on thefourth season of theLogo reality competition seriesRuPaul's Drag Race, where she quickly became a fan favorite and was subsequently crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar" in April 2012.[2][3]
After winningDrag Race, Needles released her debut albumPG-13 in January 2013.[4] It debuted at number 186 on theBillboard 200 and number nine onDance/Electronic Albums.[5] Later, Needles released the USDance/Electronic chart top-ten albumsTaxidermy (2015),Battle Axe (2017),Spoopy (2019), andAbsolute Zero (2022).
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Needles was subject to marked criticism in response to allegations of racially insensitive behavior and sexual misconduct.
Aaron Coady was born on November 28, 1981, inNewton, Iowa to Joan Coady.[6][7] He is ofIrish descent and was raisedCatholic.[8] His years growing up in Iowa was a difficult time as he faced anti-gay and anti-"outsider" harassment, which prompted him to drop out of Newton High School at age 16.[9][6][10] He began doing drugs at an early age, later being convicted for aDUI and assault on a police officer.[6]
At age four, Coady began wearing high-heels and dressing up.[11]Coady began doing drag in 1997[12] and, in 2004, he moved toPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he began working as a professional drag performer with the stage name Sharon Needles (a pun on the phrase "sharin' needles") in nightclubs and various other venues with the drag troupe "the Haus of Haunt",[13] which Needles describes as "one punk rock, messy mash up of very talented, fucked up weirdos".[14][15]
In November 2011, it was announced that Needles had been selected to compete as a contestant on thefourth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[16] The season premiered on January 30, 2012, and with Needles winning the first challenge she became an instant stand-out for her "ghoulish" fashion sense and unconventional make-up choices.[14][15][17][18][19] On the night of the premiere episode,Entertainment Weekly columnist Tanner Stransky hailed Needles' macabre style as "drop dead genius" and rhetorically asked "Is Sharon Needles the most 'sickening' (a drag term for 'fabulous') contestant ever?"[18]
Throughout the fourth season ofDrag Race, Needles endeared herself to audiences and became a favorite of the media, judges, and viewers alike for her quick wit, confidence, humility and uniqueness, as well as for her "transgressive" aesthetic.[14][15][17][19][20] On March 27, 2012,Lady Gaga tweeted – "Sharon Needles looks FABULOUS 2night on drag race. Very Born This Way outfit/fame monster wig. Any rentals for my tour? #needthatbodysuit."[21][22] Needles herself admitted that she was ambivalent in believing that she could win, stating, "(B)eing a comedic, campy, shtick queen and seeing how far those types of queens made it in past seasons, I would have been shocked if I made it past the first day."[15]
In a departure from previous seasons ofDrag Race, where rumors of previous winners had leaked before the final episodes could air, the decision was made not to pre-tape the finale episode announcing the season's winner.[23][24] Instead,RuPaul decided to give fans an opportunity to voice their opinions as to who should win before taping of the final episode on April 25, 2012.[23][24] For the taping, three outcomes were filmed announcing each of the "final 3" as the winner, with the true outcome only known to RuPaul and a select few involved in the editing.[23][24] The finale episode aired on April 30, 2012, when it was announced that Needles had been crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar".[23][25]
In June 2012, Needles won the Facebook vote to appear as a contestant onRuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, but declined, as the reigning champion, to participate in the competition.[26] She also confirmed that her replacement in the competition would be fellowRuPaul's Drag U professor and the runner-up in the Facebook voting,Pandora Boxx.[26] Needles became ahorror host in October 2012 when she began presenting horror and suspense films airing on the Logo network under the series titleFearce![27] Needles also became the face of an advertising campaign by thePeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals promotingvegetarianism,[28] appearing on billboards throughout the United States. In June 2012, thePittsburgh City Council issued an official proclamation declaring June 12, 2012, "Sharon Needles Day."[29][30][31]
On January 29, 2013, Needles released her debut studio albumPG-13, which debuted at number 186 on the USBillboard 200 chart, selling 3,000 copies in its first week.[5] In April 2013, Needles was featured on the single "RuPaulogize," fromWillam Belli's debut albumThe Wreckoning.[32]
In September 2015, Needles released "Dracula" as the lead single from her second studio album. Needles released her second studio album titledTaxidermy on October 31, 2015. The second single, released on August 5, 2016, was "Hollywoodn't". The music video was once again directed by Santiago Felipe and explored the dark side of Hollywood. In the video, Needles portrayedElizabeth Short, a.k.a. the Black Dahlia,Sharon Tate andJayne Mansfield. Her third studio album,Battle Axe, debuted on October 6, 2017, along with a video for the single of the same name. The second single from the album was "Andy Warhol Is Dead", released on November 5, 2017.[33] She contributed to the compilation albumChristmas Queens 3 (2017).[citation needed]
Sharon Needles was also voted the "Best Drag Performer" ofPittsburgh 2015 by the staff of thePittsburgh City Paper.[34]
Needles is Catholic.[8]
Needles was in a four-year relationship with fellowRuPaul's Drag Race contestant Justin Honard, better known by his stage name,Alaska Thunderfuck; they ended their relationship in 2013 but remained friends.[35][36][37]
Needles was also in a long-term relationship with special FX artist Chad O'Connell. The two began dating in late 2013 and got engaged in 2015.[38] They broke up in summer 2020.[39]
Needles has struggled withalcohol and drug abuse.[6]
Needles lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[40]
Needles has been widely criticized for her consistent and frequent usage of theN word, with some recounting incidents where she used the word in public.[41][42][failed verification] Needles has also been criticized for use of heavy racial imagery in her show, with activists Enakai and Maura Ciseaux "pointing out that by employing racist language and imagery in her act, Needles may be perpetuating [a racist] environment."[43] A former Drag Race producer named Needles as one of three former queens to be "one hundred percent banned" from the franchise, in part due to her racism and other allegations against her.[44]
In 2013, a fan ofRuPaul's Drag Race, age 15 at the time, alleged they began speaking to Needles overFaceTime andsocial media. Needles completely denied all the allegations made.[45] The fan alleged they opened up to Needles about theirself-harm andsuicidal thoughts, and Needles allegedly encouraged them to keep harming themself. When they met, the fan opened up about swallowing pills and Needles' response was that "suicide is beautiful and that [they] should keep eating pills, and kept calling [them] an idiot and a moron."[46] The fan claimed that Needles encouraged them to "cut deeper" when they wouldself-harm.[46] After winning aRuPaul's Drag Race themed cruise, Needles allegedly gave the fan "shotguns of weed" and encouraged them to drink alcohol.[46] They claimed Needles was physicallyabusive, hitting them multiple times and at one point she "sat on [their] neck and choked [them]."[46]Michelle Visage was made aware of what happened[47][failed verification] and reported the actions to the production company ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[46] Needles completely denied all the allegations made.[48]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] | US Dance [49] | US Indie | ||
| PG-13 |
| 186 | 9 | 25 |
| Taxidermy |
| — | 11 | — |
| Battle Axe |
| — | —[A] | — |
| Absolute Zero |
| _ | 3 | _ |
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Spoopy |
|
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?" | 2013 | PG-13 |
| "Dressed to Kill" | 2014 | |
| "I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore" (featuringAmanda Lepore) | ||
| "Dracula" | 2015 | Taxidermy |
| "Hollywoodn't" | 2016 | |
| "Battle Axe" | 2017 | Battle Axe |
| "Andy Warhol Is Dead" | ||
| "#Liftmeup" (with Greko,Debbie Harry,Amanda Lepore, andPeppermint) | 2019 | Non-album single |
| "Lift Them Up 2020" (with Greko, Debbie Harry, Amanda Lepore, and Peppermint) | 2020 | |
| "Absolute Zero" | 2022 | Absolute Zero |
| "Flamin' Hot" |
| Song | Year | Other Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "RuPaulogize" | 2013 | Willam Belli | The Wreckoning |
| "Supermodel Inc." | 2014 | Super Electric Party Machine | Super Electric Party Machine |
| "Jingle Bells" | 2015 | N/A | Christmas Queens |
| "Snow Machine" | 2016 | N/A | Christmas Queens 2 |
| "The Murder of the Lawson Family" | 2017 | N/A | Christmas Queens 3 |
| "I Don't Give a F**k" | 2018 | Jiggly Caliente | T.H.O.T. Process |
| "Brothers in Our World" | N/A | Christmas Queens 4 |
| Song | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "This Club Is a Haunted House" | 2013 | Michael Sharkey |
| "Call Me on the Ouija Board" | Santiago Felipe | |
| "Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?" | Marina Pfenning & Tony Balko | |
| "Dressed to Kill" | 2014 | Ben Simkins |
| "I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore" | ||
| "Dracula" | 2015 | Santiago Felipe |
| "Jingle Bells" | Steve Willis | |
| "Hollywoodn't" | 2016 | Santiago Felipe |
| "Battle Axe" | 2017 | |
| "Andy Warhol Is Dead" | Ben Simkins | |
| "666" | 2018 | |
| "Monster Mash" | 2019 | Brad Hammer |
| "Absolute Zero" | 2022 | Assaad Yacoub |
| "Flamin’ Hot" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Queens | Herself | Documentary | [51] |
| Year | Title season | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Season 4 - Winner | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | ||||
| RuPaul's Drag U | ||||
| 2012-2013 | Fearce! | Logo TV original | [52] | |
| 2013 | Watch What Happens: Live | Season 9, Episode 67: "Laura Linney & John Benjamin Hickey" | [53] | |
| She's Living for This | Season 2, Episode 1 | [54] | ||
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Season 8, Episode 1 | ||
| 2017 | Good Behavior | Tonya Hardon | Season 2, Episode 5, "You Could Discover Me". | [55] |
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Glamazon" | RuPaul | [56] |
| 2013 | "RuPaulogize" | Willam | [57] |
| "You Seemed Shady" | Pandora Boxx &Adam Barta | [58] | |
| 2015 | "Hieeee" | Alaska Thunderfuck | [59] |
| 2019 | "Scores" | Kahanna Montrese | [60] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | RuPaul Drives | Herself | Guest | [61] |
| Ring My Bell | Guest | [62] | ||
| Sharon Needles' Horroscope | Host | [63] | ||
| Pure Camp | Co-Host, alongsideAlaska Thunderfuck | [64] | ||
| Cooking with Needles | Host | [65] | ||
| 2014 | WOW Shopping Network | Guest | [66] | |
| Alyssa's Secret | Guest | [67] | ||
| Let the Music Play | Guest | [68] | ||
| 2015 | Drag Queens React | Episode: Drag Queens Reading Mean Comments - Part 3 | [69] | |
| 2016 | Bestie$ for Ca$h | Guest, with Heklina | [70] | |
| 2017 | COSMO Queens | Guest | [71] |
As a queer, catholic raised Irish queen, I had the privilege and responsibility to demand the repeal of the 8th Amendment.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Winner ofRuPaul's Drag Race US season 4 | Succeeded by |
