Born RuPaul Andre Charles, on April 15, 1960 in San Diego, California, RuPaul began his career in the 1980s as a drag queen performing in clubs and restaurants throughout New York City. It was at that time that he adopted the name RuPaul. He appeared regularly on the New York City nightlife scene during the decade of the '80s. He released his first single "Supermodel (You Better Work)" in 1987
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It climbed to number one on the dance charts in September of that year. The song was released on RuPaul's own label, Nome Entertainment Group (NEG), which he founded in 1987. In 1992, RuPaul appeared alongside Spike Lee in his film "Jungle Fever." The following year he appeared in "Jesus Christ Superstar," winning his second Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series; RuPaul also played Jesus Christ on Broadway for nine months beginning in 1994.
Since then, RuPaul has continued to work as a recording artist and has enjoyed numerous guest roles on television and films. He has recorded fourteen studio albums and sold more than four million albums worldwide.