RuPaul

"Sashay, shantay!" With those famous lyrics, RuPaul Andre Charles broke into the public consciousness with his 1993 hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)." The iconic actor, model, author, television personality, musician, and LGBTQ pioneer was born in San Diego and, as a teen, moved to Atlanta to study performing arts. In the early '80s, he got his start as a musician performing with his new-wave-inspired band Wee Wee Pole. RuPaul would go on to work the club scene as a backup singer and dancer, eventually making his way to New York City. His big break arrived in the '90s with his debut album Supermodel. The empowering Euro-house effort featured his biggest song, the eponymous hit that would set dancefloors and runways on fire, much like Madonna's "Vogue" three years prior. He rode the wave of sudden success, dueting with Elton John on a reworking of his 1976 classic "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," writing an autobiography (Lettin' It All Hang Out), appearing on All My Children, and premiering his own talk show, The RuPaul Show, which aired from 1996 to 1998. His sophomore LP, Foxy Lady, failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but he would continue to find support on the Dance charts for years to come.