James Ross (performer)
| James Ross | |
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| Born | James William Ross IV April 22, 1988 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Drag performer |
James William Ross IV is an American drag queen and reality television personality who is better known by his stage name, Tyra Sanchez. A frequent drag impersonator of pop star Beyoncé Knowles, Ross is best known as the winner of the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race.[1] A native of Gainesville, Florida, Ross moved to Orlando, where he resided for most of his life. During his time on RuPaul's Drag Race, Ross spoke candidly about his periods of homelessness and personal challenges prior to auditioning for and being selected to appear on the show. Ross' old-school drag style and glamor made him a favorite of the judges although his acerbic personality earned him the disdain of his fellow contestants. Currently residing in Atlanta, Ross performs throughout the United States and Canada.
At the time he won the title, Ross was one of the youngest contestants to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race; he was also one of the few contestants on the show who never had to lip sync in order to avoid elimination prior to the season finale. After winning Drag Race, Ross served as a drag professor and mentor of beauty- and fashion-challenged women on the second season of RuPaul's Drag U.[2] In April 2011, Sanchez released his first dance single, "Look At Me".
Ross appears in the music video for the song "Hey Jane" by the band Spiritualized, where he plays a transgender prostitute and single parent of two children. His real-life son, Jeremiah, plays one of the children in the video.
In June 2012, it was announced that a documentary film discussing Ross's role as a father was in production. Titled Drag Dad and directed by Icelandic director Björn Flóki, the documentary will document Ross's role as both a father and drag queen celebrity. An online fundraising campaign garnered more than US$20,000 in donations toward the film's production and distribution expenses.[3][4]
Personal life [edit]
Ross is single and has one son whom he co-parents with the child's mother. Ross was arrested on 16 August 2011 after Gwinnett County police discovered a small amount of marijuana in his car. He was released the following day after his $1,300 bond was posted.[5]
References [edit]
- ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2". Logo. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ Guest Judges Announced for RuPaul's Drag U from New York Press 9 March 2011
- ^ Kickstarter: Drag Dad from Kickstarter June 2012
- ^ Drag Dad: Official Website from www.dragdad.com July 2012
- ^ Garvey, Marianne (18 August 2011). "Mug Shot of the Day: RuPaul's Drag Race Winner Arrested for Pot Possession". E! Online. E! Entertainment Television. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- Official website (2011 archive version)
- Tyra Sanchez at the Internet Movie Database
- Tyra Sanchez on MySpace
- James Ross on MySpace
- Tyra Sanchez on Facebook
- Tyra Sanchez on Twitter
- Tyra Sanchez on YouTube
| Preceded by BeBe Zahara Benet |
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Season 2 (2010) |
Succeeded by Raja |
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