Catching up with All Star Chad Michaels

Christine Fitzgerald 15 Min Read
Chad Michaels
Photo via chadmichaelsallstar/Instagram

Chad Michaels is an icon, who may be best known for performing as another icon, the legendary Cher. Many met Chad for the first time on season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where her memorable turn as Cher on Snatch Game won our hearts and earned her runner-up status. She went on to compete on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, teamed up with Shannel, and went on to snatch the crown and become a part of the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

Thanks to the team at BetUS, we had the chance to chat with Chad about her All Stars experience, who she thinks is going to win and her reaction to Cher’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Catch up with this queen who is a true All Star.

Obviously you are well versed in all things All Stars. How do you feel like it's evolved from the first season? 

Yeah, it's evolved massively. I mean, you know, they were just getting their feet wet and trying to formulate this series, you know, on All Stars [season] one and they put us in teams. So, that's been drastically different from anything that we've seen since then. But I think it's evolved beautifully. I think it's evolved naturally. I think that they've expanded the universe in many ways. You know, through the challenges, crowning two winners, varying the format from season to season and now topping it off with the girls competing for charity. I mean, talk about putting intent and purpose with lots of fun drag queens. I mean, that's excellent. That's the way it should be.

If you could go in the wayback machine and compete for a charity, is there a charity that's close to your heart that you would want to play for?

Well, I've you know I have worked with the Children's Craniofacial Association, which is Cher’s charity and it deals with any and all sorts of cranial deformities or birth defects. I love that charity and I've gotten to do so many shows where the recipients of that charity attend and their parents. And so, I probably would have done that. It's the one that I'm most closely associated with in my private life so I think that I would have carried that over on the show.

Looking back on your experience, what was the biggest challenge for you on that first season?

Coming off of season four, like three weeks earlier and just being really a little bit creatively tapped and definitely tapped in the wardrobe department. I had worn everything on season four. And then, you know, All Stars came along shortly thereafter so there wasn't a lot of time to make new looks or create too much in the amount of time that we had.

So that was hard. And then gosh, there were so many things. I think that being put in the teams really threw us all for a loop on All Stars because nobody wanted that. You know what I mean? We wanted to compete on our own. We wanted to showcase ourselves, but then we had to be put together and just make the best of it and navigate our way through competing in this competition as a duet. It really threw us all for a loop and it's definitely not something that any of us wanted, but we all made the best of it.

You and Shannel were my favorite team. Watching Shannel struggling this season to get a badge is driving me crazy. Who do you think is going to actually take the crown with this season?

So, seeing Shannel struggle for me, I don't like it, but I know why Shannel is there. Shannel is there to absolutely put on the biggest drag show that she can put on for you. That's why she is there. Not one of her damn costumes you could fit in one suitcase. So, I mean, Shannel always brings excellence to the stage, but Shannel has other interests outside of this competition and drag. Shannel has a very successful business in Las Vegas, and this show is doing nothing but promoting and benefiting that business, which is her future, you know, drag is her present. That business is her future. Shannel is one of the smartest people I know.

She really is. And her Christmas stuff is just breathtaking. I absolutely love it. Now, what do you think makes an All Star? 

So, I talked about this before, I don't know how much sense it would have made for me to win season four because I don't really fit the description of “America's Next Drag Superstar.” I've been around for 20 years before I competed on season four. So, I feel like All Stars is in many ways, kind of an acknowledgement of your achievements. And that's kind of what lands you there and it's either your achievement – if you're a newer queen, your achievements on the show, but more so if you're a more veteran, seasoned queen, it's kind of like, you know, this queen has done this, has won every pageant has done this, that, the other. I think that’s what lands a lot of people there, you know, it's not just the fact that they were on the show or on another season. They're an All Star in their own right. That's kind of what it means to me.

Who do you think embodies all of that and who do you think will snatch the crown?

I think many people, I think many people embody that on the show. But I mean, I guess it really comes down to who's doing the best. I think that Nina West is an absolute genius. I'm certainly not the only one that has seen that. I mean, she's a Broadway star. She is a child activist with songs and books and TV shows for kids that are enriching their lives and expanding their minds of not only the children, but the parents.

And I, you know, I certainly wouldn't have any problem with Nina winning, but you know, Roxxxy Andrews is just an absolute…. When I talk about an acknowledgement of achievement, that's Roxxxy Andrews. Roxxxy comes from one of the most respected drag families in the United States and possibly the world, the Andrews. Erica Andrews was her mother. Tandi Andrews was Erica's mother – and Tandi was one of the most amazing Chers in the industry who worked at La Cage in Las Vegas before I got there. So, there is history there. There is excellence there. There is connection. There is legacy. There is longevity. And for me, that's what Roxxxy embodies and that's why I feel like she's gonna win.

I can't not talk to you without getting your reaction to Cher being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. How did you react when you heard that news?

So, I have I'll just be super honest with you. Why did it take so long? And why did you induct so many people who, in my opinion, are under the ring of Cher on the list?  Everybody who's there? Sure. You all belong there. But did you belong there before Cher? No. And Cher freaking knows that.

I think she's being really gracious by accepting this induction. And I promise you, it's going to be a spectacular acceptance speech from her. I don't know what's going to happen, but she's going to do it with a lot of fireworks and she's never one to mince words. And yeah, they're lucky that she's that how I feel about is that they're lucky that she's accepting it. That's how I feel.  I'm thrilled for her, but also if she were to throw up deuces, I would completely understand and celebrate her even more.

What is your favorite Cher song to perform on stage?

It’s not so much that I have a favorite Cher song. It really depends on my mood or my groove when I choose my music for a show. I love the classics, obviously “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Believe” are crowd pleasers. Part of my job is making people happy – and believe me, I can be self-indulgent but it's really about making people happy.

And especially with Cher, when they come to see me do Cher, they want to see what they know. They don't want to see the B sides. They don't want to see something that maybe she did a long, long time ago that they don't remember. So, for me, I give the audience what they want. I personally really love “Song for the Lonely” and I always have, I think it's got a timely message. It feels modern and it's got heart and that's always just been one of my favorites.

What else are you up to these days?

I'm so lazy. No. So I'm headed out to New York City this weekend for Pride and I'm doing Voss Event's Proud Divas at HK Hall. It's going to be a look-alike show. This is the first time that Brandon Voss has dipped his toe in the water of putting the girls together in the reference point of actually doing celebrity look-alikes so I'm really excited about it. It's going to be a lot of fun. And who knows what could come of that, you know, Brandon runs some really fantastic world tours and who knows what could happen with that. And beyond that my projects are being seen, I’m spectacularly happy in my private life and in my personal life.

It's been a long decade. A lot has happened. A lot of good things have happened. A lot of bad things have happened. I've had some health issues. So, at this time, it is really all about me and my family and being here and being present as much as I can. And feel like I'd done a lot and I'm feeling really fulfilled and I'm very grateful for anything that gets hurled my way.

I just got back from Monaco. I performed for Prince Andrew and Princess Charlene at the Rose Ball and a pretty impressive list of European royalty and celebrities. So, you know, doing something like that is like a bucket list thing – and those things always come out of the blue.

People are always like, what are you going to do next? What are your plans? Like, you know, they're loose but it's stuff like that that comes along that you're just like, wow, how is this my life? How is this real? You know what I mean? So, I've been really lucky that way. I just turned 53 so I'm slowing down a little bit. I'm being a little bit more selective about you know, how I travel and what I'm doing because I need to make it last.

I don't have the same stamina that I used to have and the traveling really, really takes it out of me. So, I've just been a bit more selective about what I'm doing and just being more mindful in general about everything and just realizing you're so blessed to have this opportunity and this platform, but you're also super blessed to have your husband and your mother’s still alive and your two dogs and this beautiful life. So, enjoy it. Be present, be there for it.

Keep up with Chad on Twitter and Instagram.


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