Symone on Being Inspired by ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Her First Drag Performance & More | Billboard Cover

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 winner Symone talks about her start in drag, performing for the first time and more for our Billboard Pride cover with Maren Morris.

Symone:
At 18, I went to an amateur night at the club back home in Arkansas. I stepped on that stage, honey — the lights, the cameras hit me. And it was over from there.

Symone on how she got into drag:
I was watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and I was about 15, 16 years old, and I had a job at the time. And I would save up my money, and I just started putting on makeup because, you know, I wanted to look good. You know, I was like, “If I’m doing it, I’m gonna look good in the face.” So I did that for a while. Then I went to my prom — went to my senior prom in drag. That was the first time I stepped out in drag in full regalia. And then at 18, I went to an amateur night at the club back home in Arkansas. And I stepped on that stage honey, the lights, the cameras hit me. And it was over from there.

Symone on the first song she performed in drag:
“Domino” by Jessie J. And there’s no specific reason why — it was just because at the time I loved it. And it was just what got me going, and I wore that song out.

Symone on her signature drag number:
It’s either Tina Turner’s “Disco Inferno,” or it’s my Whitney medley, my 11-minute Whitney medley I do. I shut it down.

Symone on musicians who have inspired her:
Whitney Houston, of course. Tina Turner, Rihanna, Lil Kim and Diana Ross.

Watch the full video above!