|
"Doin' Dorian Corey" reprinted from CUT Magazine, Vol. 1 No. 5 November/December 1992 |
| Hello, is Dorian there? |
| This is. |
| Hi. This is Aaron, calling from Chicago. |
| Oh, Hi! |
| So what are you doing with yourself these days? |
| Still trying to keep soul and body together, and doing a little part-time work down at Sally's ... |
| I've heard of Sally's. That's that show lounge there in New York... |
| Right. |
| Well, What do you have planned for the future? |
| Oh, gee... nothing really spectacu-lashing, that I know of. Things with me usually just pop up at the drop of a hat- one day I'm doing nothing, the next I'm booked to go to Las Vegas... |
| So, you do work out of New York? |
| Oh yeah. I'll work anywhere. |
| So, you've done Las Vegas? |
| Yeah, and Boston, Philly, Washington... oh yes and Cleveland... so many times... all over Ohio... I started touring with a show. |
| You haven't been to Chicago? |
| We never got to Chicago. |
| Ooh, I sure hate it! I mean, you did Ohio! |
| I've done Detroit... I've never done Chicago. |
| In Cleveland, what was that crowd like? 'Cause that's still pretty much the midwest.. |
| That was quite some years ago... about 25... but it was midwestern then, too... but not really as bad as you think- at that time I was working with a black review, and therefore I was working black clubs. So when you're working in the black neighborhoods, towns are always hotter! |
| Ki-ki |
| It doesn't matter how seedy, run-down, country or western a town is... get to the black neighborhoods, and the soul music is poppin'. Its just that way... |
| I saw you on Donahue, When they were promoting Paris is Burning, and you had a lot to say about living in Harlem- how if they couldn't get ready for you, that was just too bad... |
| That's one thing this lifestyle will do to you- you get a hard shell, or you get beat up, put out or murdered, y'know... |
| What's going on with the Paris Is Burning scandal? I know a few people were trying to sue Jenny Livingston... |
| Well, I believe all these lawsuits have evaporated, faded away or just been given up, 'cause I don't know of anyone that's still trying. |
| What do you feel about the movie? Do you feel it was exploitive? |
| No, not really. Everything's exploitive, one way or another. The movie was an enlightenment. It really made the balls more famous... it made all those people much more well-known. It made them feel more a part of there community. Someone else just had the clever idea of doing it. |
| I was noticing the cat in the movie... that was yours? |
| Yes. |
| How many do you have? |
| None. |
| (Ki-Ki) What happened? |
| It was the strangest thing- when I got ready to move, no kitty. I couldn't find him. |
| Oh, my goodness! |
| I went back three days later, and still, no trace of him... he went back to the outside world, where I found him when he was a kitten. |
| Oh, he got grown... |
| Uh huh. This life of chaste living was not going to do... |
| What is the House of Corey doing right now? |
| Barely hanging together- I have the most absentee house in the world. I've got one member in- well, pretty good standing- in Jersey, who's giving an affair, I think in January, and then... most of the girls in my house are "theatrical", so they're out working the clubs. |
| So besides the balls, you have a lot of performances? |
| A few nights a week at the club . That's all I care to do right now- sticking close to home, or running to mad parties... like Madonna's... |
| You went to that S.E.X. kick-off party? |
| Yes. I was the only drag queen in there- other than a couple that were dancing for entertainment... |
| So give me some dirt! |
| Oh, it was a fabulous party- unlike the papers said- it was quite lovely- seeing all those celebrities there- Spike Lee and Naomi Campbell were there together... Ashford and Simpson, Grace Jones... |
| Ooh, no! |
| I asked Grace to come back to the club with me after the party was over, but she said she was getting back to her bed- her feet were killing her- she had been dancing crazy all night- the life of the party, and all of a sudden, when I asked her to come somewhere,"I'm tired". I said, "O.K., Grace!" But it was a fab party, very nice. Madonna made a showing around the place for about ten minutes, and then disappeared. So, I can't tell you what she did the rest of the evening... I've got a feeling there was a VIP room inside the VIP room... |
| Yeah, they were cracking me up the other day on the news- Madonna, Madonna, Madonna... These people are like, "Oh, this book is disgusting!" But look at you! You're on T.V., standing in the street, looking at the book, making comments! |
| And would you believe they interviewed me for that book? That's when I first met Madonna- but evidently I wasn't quite what she was looking for. |
| So, They did an interview and photos, too? |
| Yeah. It was an office full of people- you'd take a photograph, then you'd meet her. She'd ask you questions, then they say they'd get in touch with you- one of those sort of things. I think in my case- she wanted a drag queen- she'd seen the movie and talked to me about Jenny [Livingston] and everything, but I think when she saw me in person, she suddenly realized how much taller I appear in person than on the screen. |
| Oh! |
| On screen I look lusciously average... |
| You sorta looked on the tall side when you were standing next to Phil [Donahue]... |
| Without the first high-heel, I'm six-one... with heels- six-four, six-five. So you see how much I overpower her... |
| Oh, she wasn't going for that! |
| I don't think she could find a photograph compatible. I just hooped, though, but I almost made that scandalous book! |
| (Ki-ki) That would've been too much! |
|
I also did a shoot for Steven Meisel for the November issue of Italian Vogue... |
| I'll have to look for that! |
| He's the one that did the photos for that [Madonna's] book. And all the while I was being shot, I kept telling him, "See, you shoulda had me in that book!" |
| What about this election- who are you gonna vote for? |
| Clinton, 'cause I feel that we need a change. They put too much faith in the power of the President. Think about history and realize it's Congress that can pass bills, with or without- he can't pass nothing without them, so it's Congress you better keep an eye on! |
| What do you think about Perot, though? |
| Oh, I just think the man had too much money and nothing to do. He's gonna save the country... he spent all [this money] on T.V. commercials, and he knows he can't win... |
| But he's stirring it up, though! |
| Suddenly, I get the feeling that with him, we'd be back to woodsheds, leather straps, and go to bed without dinner... |
| Oh-Oh! |
| ...Turn the T.V. off at nine o'clock- you know. |
| Yeah. A lot of people get this weird feeling about him. |
| We don't need any Napoleans... You know my sister Pepper LaBeija? |
| Yes... |
| Well, Pepper and a fabulous singer from the days of the Jewel Box, named Carol Durrell, are putting together a show in January for the Apollo Theatre... |
| I heard about that at Paris' ball this year. Pepper was a judge, and she made an announcement about it. She was saying how they wanted to show that there's a lot of talent in the gay community. |
| That's gonna be nice... and don't be suprised if you- y'know- see me there. It's gonna be fab. |
| Are they planning to televise it? |
| I don't think so. You know what they do? They're clever... they did another one like this- they video tape it and they sell the video! I think they're gonna tour with this show- a five-city tour or something... |
| Is Chicago in they're line-up? |
| I would think so... If it isn't, it should be! |
| Copyright © 1992 Aaron P. Brown. All rights reserved. |
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