Atlanta Drag Legends

Well hello there, Blog. I've been out there criss-crossing this vast country on my solo television show tour and visiting glamorous cities like Detroit, Tulsa, and Baltimore. I've been in love with all of them. D-Town's abandoned burned-out buildings are awe inspiring. Tulsa still feels like a town where Bob Wills plays nightly and Route 66 is open for travel. And Baltimore? Well, what other city would kick my weekend off with a community-organized water ballet that reinterprets War and Peace with dogs and squirrels...in swimwear.

In a few weeks I am heading to Atlanta, Georgia. I'm pretty excited to finally see Atlanta, but it's not because of the sights. Rather, Atlanta is home to what may well be the best public access in the whole world. Specifically, I speak of the glorious American Music Show. Spearheaded by the amazingly perky DeAundra Peek, the show offered a smorgasbord of crazed, fun, and completely unique southern drag stars doing their thing.

To start with, here are the fabulous Peek Sisters via the Internet Archive:

Here's another clip of the Peek Sisters performing "Gentle on My Mind" via YouTube. And don't miss DeAundra Peek's solo works, like this U2 medley. More DeAundra is available on her "internet theme park". And for a peek behind the Peek persona, here's an interview with him by the Swans' Jarboe.

There's so much more at Funtone USA, the cable access music channel that relives the lost days of that classic cable show, and features stars like Maxine Odum, a ton of RuPaul (including the legendary low-budget film Starrbooty, coming soon as a remake), and some vintage footage of NYC legend John Sex - like this video for "Hustle With My Muscle".

Then pop on over to Odum's Double Wide Mobile Home Court, for more Atlanta drag celebrity madness.

PS - All of my knowledge of this comes third hand, via the internet and VHS dubs that have been shared with me over the years. If anyone has the real story, or was a part of the action, please feel free to comment.

Comments

[fatty jubbo]

wow! the Peek Sisters! Now that's first-rate irritainment! Like a pack of howling dogs with their backsides crushed by a steam roller! Such fanfare and jabbering for a truly awful show! They remind me of that one character from Nashville who wants to be a country star but sings terribly flat and weak.