(as written by Shawn M.)

It all started January 11th, 1970

I was born in Wichita, KS, but soon moved to Reno, NV where I spent the first 7 years of my life. When I was about 6ish we started to moved to New Mexico (took us a year, my Granny never threw anything away.)
. I liked it there, I guess, but we soon started moving all over the place. Mostly in NM, but sometimes we would end up in Texas or Arizona. One time we ended up in Modesto a small town outside of San Francisco.

I graduated High School in 1988, from Belen N.M., we lived outside the small town in an even smaller place. I am glad now that I grew up in the country, it has helped me appreciate life, the ups, and the downs.

After graduation, some of my class members and I went to Washington DC for a competition called "Odyssey of the Mind", a big nerd convention. It was neat, after I returned home to NM, my Aunts girlfriend flew me out to Vegas to work in the Holiday Inn, now Harrahs, on the Strip. I was a bus boy and pot washer, what else could a boy from the country do??, Well, anyways, that didn’t last.
I knew washing dishes and waiting on folks was not for me. So I moved to San Fran and lived there for awhile. I was working as a chef at the "La Cage" up there before the earthquake in 1989; after that hit things kinda died down for awhile. A lot of the other "Queens" in the show freaked out about the earth shaken so they left and moved away.

Well they dressed me up as Madonna, threw me out on stage with 2 boy dancers and it was all down hill from there.

The first time that I did Madonna it was horrible, I knew nothing of dancing or even how to put on my own make-up. The guy that did Marilyn Monroe painted me and the guy that did Tina Turner lent me a costume.
They were all much older and more experienced impersonators; I was only ey really helped get me started tho.

The 2 boy dancers were pros and danced around me, so at least they were good, he/he, I didn't even know how to dance. But I figured if I was going to impersonate a known dancer I best get my ass into dance class. Luckily, most of the big shows that I was in, the real dancers and choreographers showed me how to do what I needed to learn and I picked it up quickly.

We finally had to move from S.F. back to Vegas, the earthquake really ruined things for the show, tourism came to a halt. So, my dancer/boyfriend and I loaded up the car and came back to Vegas. He started working as a dancer in La Cage at the Riviera and then transferred to Kenny Kerrs show, "BOY-LESQUE"

I went to Elko, Nevada with a small show called "BOY-OH-BOY"; it was the beginning of my little drag career.

I was with that show for about a year when it closed and I moved back to Vegas. I didn't do shows for awhile, I even started to give away my drag thinking I was never going to do it again, until I gave a Tranny friend a ride to an audition for a show going to Wendover, NV. The director knew that I did drag and offered me a job, even though I wasn’t even there to audition. He knew that I did the "BLONDS", Marilyn and Madonna, but he asked me if I ever did Reba McEntire.
I was a big fan of hers but never thought about doing her, until he mentioned it. So I got a big red wig, took off my upper lip and started doing her .

She [Reba] is the one that finally got me into the "La Cage" in Las Vegas; after auditioning a million times as Madonna and not getting it. They liked my Reba so I did her for awhile. Then I left and started touring with Jimmy Emerson's troupe. We toured small casino towns such as Elko, Wendover and Laughlin, N.V. We even went as far South as Biloxi, MS; I had a good time there and in New Orleans.

After that show closed, I came back to Vegas for a month to make new costumes before I was sent to Aruba. The Producer of “La Cage” in Vegas had a show down there called "The Jewel Box Revue". I was there 1 year and really hated it, what a boring place.
The beaches were alot of fun tho so I hung out there alot.

When I got back to the States in 1998, I came home to Vegas just to get away from drag and touring so much. I wanted a home and a place to stay, instead of living in a different town each month, or whatever Hotel.

Well of course drag is a curse, and I never got away from it. I was here less than a month when I started doing the show at the Freezone and I’ve been there ever since, going on 7 years now.

I have done small things since returning to Vegas and doing the shows at the Freezone. I went to Blackhawk, CO for a week. Brazil, for a month. Peru, for a week and even South Beach, FL for a weekend with Kenny Kerr.

I was on the "Tonight show" with Jay Leno, Maury Povitch, and the Leeza Gibbons show as well. I also got to play Madonna in "Miss Congeniality2"
That was alot of fun, and I got to hang out with Sandra B. and all them, it was really cooooool.
All my life I wanted to be in a big Hollywood Movie, and I finally got to do that, But I found I'd rather be on a stage with a live audience, much more personable, and you get a response from crowd. cameras don't really cheer you on,

*UP DATE*
Since I 1st wrote this bio for my web site years ago, ALOT has gone on so I'll try to remember everything to tell y'all.....
Gosh I don't even know where to start, I am still at the FREEZONE, it's going on 11 years now, can ya believe it???? we are now the longest running drag show in Vegas history, we've out lived all the rest, but then we don't have a huge cast or budget to worry with, we just do our thing and have fun.
I have been touren alot again, not as much as in the 90's, but a few cool trips, I go up to Alaska now alot, a couple of good friends have a cool club called the "KODIAK" UP IN ANCHORAGE.
I love goen up there, but the winters are way too much for me so I try to wait till the summers now, he/he
It really is one of the most wonderful places I've ever been, one time we took a ship out to see the whales, and orcas,sea otters, seals, some glaciers. I'll get pix posted on here soon.
I have also been going up to Spokane Wash. alot doen gigs and maken costumes for shows that go there, last time I was up there, I was in a show called "BOTTOMS-UP" with Rip Taylor, yes, he's still Alive....
HA, We've also gone up there with "La Cage" and a live shadow cast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

I even popped out of a big huge cake one day at the MGM Grand Garden for Madonnas tour manager, and his crew that tours with her. They were here with the Police, then after that was done they were going to Madonnas tour,
it was way cool to have Madges friends really have fun with me and they all really thought i looked and acted like her, i said that was the point of doen this, it was a great day...they contacted me to pop out of the cake for her when they were here for her show, but the schedualing didn't work out.
Me and my family are going to Hawaii this April, I can't wait, nice to get away without haven to take DRAG, hehe, just vegg. out on the beach...YAY
We have been taken Diving classes, that sure is fun, I love it now, can't wait to dive in Hawaii.
SO, i went to Maui, I had an amazing time, snorkeled with the dolphins and whales, I have some amazing pix..most are on SHAWNMSUPERSTAR/MYSPACE
Also
I was an apprentice for a well known costume designer for 4 years, and am now making my own costumes; as well as for others. When I worked in his shop we did costumes for all the major shows in Vegas and some cruise lines such as Pacific and Princess. We also made some costumes for the Ice Capades, and a lot of different movies.
After he passed away, he left me alot of his stuff so I make costumes all the time, keeeps me busy, and it helps that I don't have to pay some one to do it for me.

Now who knows what I'll end up doing, you never know when that phone will ring and I’m off to a wonderful place to perform. So until then I'll stay at the Freezone and keep on doing what I know best, making people smile and laugh.

I found out that I was HIV pozz December 4th, 2000.
Now things are going great, it was shakey at first. The Meds really fucked with me, and still do, but not as bad.It has been over 8 years now and I still test Negg, Whoohooo,

When I found out that I was poz, I did something I thought that I'd never do. I backpacked through Europe in 2001. I started in Paris and went down through Italy took a ship to Greece. Hung out in Athens a few days then took a shir to the Greek Islands.Rented a place on Mykonos dirt cheap for a week, that was great.Then went back to Athens took a ship back up to Italy, up threw Milan, to Venice. Hung out there a few days It was so beautiful, and the food was soooo good.After a few days there I went up threw Germany (didn't hang there much) wanted to get up to Amsterdam. I went to alot of great museums there as well as a few "Coffee Shops" and then finished back in Paris. It was the time of my life.
I flew back to the U.S.A. into New York City, almost 1 month before 911. I had post cards still of the Twin Towers I had gotten there on my lay over back to Vegas.

.... A few years ago a film student made a documentary about me and my life and won some awards, it is titled "Life, Lipstick, and AIDS". She asked me to pick 3 words that described myself and I chose, "Lonely, Happy and Hopeful",
since then another film student has put me in her documentary about drag in Vegas, so we'll see how that goes. *update*
I got the other documentary, it was OK...we'll post it here.....
Last summer I got a message from the "Conde Nast Traveller" magazine, they wanted pix of me for their Vegas issue, it was nice they used a pic of me as "Wonder Woman" and called my show an ICON of Las Vegas. that was really wonderful, then the European version wanted to do the same, so that was even nicer...
Last year before my Granny passed away, I made her a picture book of my show life, and she got it 3 days before she went, she had called me and told me she kept it next to her, that was sweet. I'm glad she's in a better place.
I wanted to re-do the book and add more to it, so when I do i'll prolly try to sell it, or somethen, I'll let ya know.It really turned out NEAT....well, my friends and new friends, I'll try to keep up with this more, you can also keep up with me on Myspace.com/SHAWNMSUPERSTAR.
Ciao for now.

Always ,
~ Shawn M.