Jump to content

Sharon Needles

From Catholicism Wiki
Sharon Needles
Needles at Christmas Queens 2018
Needles at Christmas Queens 2018
Born Aaron Robert Coady[1]
November 28, 1981
Newton, Iowa, U.S.
Occupations Drag performer
musician
actor
Years active 2004–present
Known for RuPaul's Drag Race (season 4) winner
Musical career
Genres EDM
indie pop
pop rock
sadcore
Instrument Vocals
Labels Producer Entertainment Group
Sidecar Records
Website sharonneedles.com

Sharon Needles (born November 28, 1981) is the stage name of Aaron Robert Coady, an American drag performer and recording artist. Needles rose to international attention on the fourth season of the Logo reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, where she quickly became a fan favorite and was subsequently crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar" in April 2012.[2][3]

After winning Drag Race, Needles released her debut album PG-13 in January 2013.[4] It debuted at number 186 on the Billboard 200 and number nine on Dance/Electronic Albums.[5] Later, Needles released the US Dance/Electronic chart top-ten albums Taxidermy (2015), Battle Axe (2017), Spoopy (2019), and Absolute Zero (2022).

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Needles was subject to marked criticism in response to allegations of racially insensitive behavior and sexual misconduct.

Early life

Aaron Coady was born in Newton, Iowa to Joan Coady.[6][7] Coady is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.[8] At age four, he began wearing high-heels and dressing up with the encouragement of his parents.[9] His years growing up in Iowa was a difficult time as he faced severe anti-gay and anti-"outsider" harassment, which prompted him to drop out of Newton High School.[10] He began doing drugs at an early age, later being convicted for a DUI and assault on a police officer.[6] He stated, "I started drugs really early and sneaking out and sleeping with boys and not coming home for weeks on end."[6]

Coady began doing drag in 1997[11] and, in 2004, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he began working as a professional drag performer with the stage name Sharon Needles (a pun on the phrase "sharin' needles") in nightclubs and various other venues with the drag troupe "the Haus of Haunt",[12] which Needles describes as "one punk rock, messy mash up of very talented, fucked up weirdos".[13][14]

Career

In November 2011, it was announced that Needles had been selected to compete as a contestant on the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.[15] The season premiered on January 30, 2012, and with Needles winning the first challenge she became an instant stand-out for her "ghoulish" fashion sense and unconventional make-up choices.[16] On the night of the premiere episode, Entertainment Weekly columnist Tanner Stransky hailed Needles' macabre style as "drop dead genius" and rhetorically asked "Is Sharon Needles the most 'sickening' (a drag term for 'fabulous') contestant ever?"[17]

Throughout the fourth season of Drag Race, Needles endeared herself to audiences and became a favorite of the media, judges, and viewers alike for her quick wit, confidence, humility and uniqueness, as well as for her "transgressive" aesthetic.[18] On March 27, 2012, Lady Gaga tweeted – "Sharon Needles looks FABULOUS 2night on drag race. Very Born This Way outfit/fame monster wig. Any rentals for my tour? #needthatbodysuit."[19][20] Needles herself admitted that she was ambivalent in believing that she could win, stating, "(B)eing a comedic, campy, shtick queen and seeing how far those types of queens made it in past seasons, I would have been shocked if I made it past the first day."[14]

In a departure from previous seasons of Drag Race, where rumors of previous winners had leaked before the final episodes could air, the decision was made not to pre-tape the finale episode announcing the season's winner.[21][22] Instead, RuPaul decided to give fans an opportunity to voice their opinions as to who should win before taping of the final episode on April 25, 2012.[21][22] For the taping, three outcomes were filmed announcing each of the "final 3" as the winner, with the true outcome only known to RuPaul and a select few involved in the editing.[21][22] The finale episode aired on April 30, 2012, when it was announced that Needles had been crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar".[21][23]

In June 2012, Needles won the Facebook vote to appear as a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, but declined, as the reigning champion, to participate in the competition.[24] She also confirmed that her replacement in the competition would be fellow RuPaul's Drag U professor and the runner-up in the Facebook voting, Pandora Boxx.[24] Needles became a horror host in October 2012 when she began presenting horror and suspense films airing on the Logo network under the series title Fearce![25] Needles also became the face of an advertising campaign by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals promoting vegetarianism,[26] appearing on billboards throughout the United States. In June 2012, the Pittsburgh City Council issued an official proclamation declaring June 12, 2012, "Sharon Needles Day."[27]

On January 29, 2013, Needles released her debut studio album PG-13, which debuted at number 186 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 3,000 copies in its first week.[5] In April 2013, Needles was featured on the single "RuPaulogize," from Willam Belli's debut album The Wreckoning.[28]

In September 2015, Needles released "Dracula" as the lead single from her second studio album. Needles released her second studio album titled Taxidermy on October 31, 2015. The second single, released on August 5, 2016, was "Hollywoodn't". The music video was once again directed by Santiago Felipe and explored the dark side of Hollywood. In the video, Needles portrayed Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. the Black Dahlia, Sharon Tate and Jayne Mansfield. Her third studio album, Battle Axe, debuted on October 6, 2017, along with a video for the single of the same name. The second single from the album was "Andy Warhol Is Dead", released on November 5, 2017.[29] She contributed to the compilation album Christmas Queens 3 (2017).

Sharon Needles was also voted the "Best Drag Performer" of Pittsburgh 2015 by the staff of the Pittsburgh City Paper.[30]

Controversies

Needles has had a history of using racist language. She boasted about her use of the N word in a Facebook comment, though later claimed the comment was a forgery.[31] She has also done blackface and has worn t-shirts with controversial symbols.[32]

In 2021, The Daily Beast reported an account from a former fan of Needles who alleged that Needles had been "physically abusive, encouraged self-harm, and sent them child porn when they were underage". Needles denied the allegations through a legal representative.[33][34]

A former Drag Race producer named Needles as one of three former queens to be "one hundred percent banned" from the franchise, in part due to her racism and other allegations against her.[35]

Personal life

Needles is Catholic.[8] He struggles with alcohol and drug abuse.[6]

Needles was in a four-year relationship with fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Justin Honard, better known by his stage name, Alaska Thunderfuck; they ended their relationship in 2013 but remained friends.[36]

Needles was also in a long-term relationship with special FX artist Chad O'Connell. The two began dating in late 2013 and got engaged in 2015.[37] They broke up in summer 2020.[38]

Needles lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[39]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US[5] US
Dance[40] 		US
Indie
PG-13 Released: January 29, 2013
Label: Self-released
Formats: CD, LP, digital download 		186 9 25
Taxidermy Released: October 31, 2015
Label: Sidecar Records, Producer Entertainment Group
Formats: CD, digital download 		— 11 —
Battle Axe Released: October 6, 2017
Label: Producer Entertainment Group
Formats: CD, LP, digital download 		— —[41] —
Absolute Zero Released: July 22, 2022
Label: Producer Entertainment Group
Formats: digital download, LP 		_ 3 _

Extended play

Title Details
Spoopy Released: October 11, 2019
Label: Producer Entertainment Group
Formats: Digital download

Singles

Title Year Album
"Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?" 2013 PG-13
"Dressed to Kill" 2014
"I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore"
(featuring Amanda Lepore)
"Dracula" 2015 Taxidermy
"Hollywoodn't" 2016
"Battle Axe" 2017 Battle Axe
"Andy Warhol Is Dead"
"#Liftmeup"
(with Greko, Debbie Harry, Amanda Lepore, and Peppermint) 		2019 Non-album single
"Lift Them Up 2020"
(with Greko, Debbie Harry, Amanda Lepore, and Peppermint) 		2020
"Absolute Zero" 2022 Absolute Zero
"Flamin' Hot"

Other appearances

Song Year Other Artist(s) Album
"RuPaulogize" 2013 Willam Belli The Wreckoning
"Supermodel Inc." 2014 Super Electric Party Machine Super Electric Party Machine
"Jingle Bells" 2015 N/A Christmas Queens
"Snow Machine" 2016 N/A Christmas Queens 2
"The Murder of the Lawson Family" 2017 N/A Christmas Queens 3
"I Don't Give a F**k" 2018 Jiggly Caliente T.H.O.T. Process
"Brothers in Our World" N/A Christmas Queens 4

Music videos

Song Year Director
"This Club Is a Haunted House" 2013 Michael Sharkey
"Call Me on the Ouija Board" Santiago Felipe
"Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?" Marina Pfenning & Tony Balko
"Dressed to Kill" 2014 Ben Simkins
"I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore"
"Dracula" 2015 Santiago Felipe
"Jingle Bells" Steve Willis
"Hollywoodn't" 2016 Santiago Felipe
"Battle Axe" 2017
"Andy Warhol Is Dead" Ben Simkins
"666" 2018
"Monster Mash" 2019 Brad Hammer
"Absolute Zero" 2022 Assaad Yacoub
"Flamin’ Hot"

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2019 The Queens Herself Documentary [42]

Television

Year Title season Role Notes Ref.
2012 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself Season 4 - Winner
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
RuPaul's Drag U
2012–2013 Fearce! Logo TV original [43]
2013 Watch What Happens: Live Season 9, Episode 67: "Laura Linney & John Benjamin Hickey" [44]
She's Living for This Season 2, Episode 1 [45]
2016 RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8, Episode 1
2017 Good Behavior Tonya Hardon Season 2, Episode 5, "You Could Discover Me". [46]

Music videos

Year Title Artist Ref.
2012 "Glamazon" RuPaul [47]
2013 "RuPaulogize" Willam [48]
"You Seemed Shady" Pandora Boxx & Adam Barta [49]
2015 "Hieeee" Alaska Thunderfuck [50]
2019 "Scores" Kahanna Montrese [51]

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2013 RuPaul Drives Herself Guest [52]
Ring My Bell Guest [53]
Sharon Needles' Horroscope Host [54]
Pure Camp Co-Host, alongside Alaska Thunderfuck [55]
Cooking with Needles Host [56]
2014 WOW Shopping Network Guest [57]
Alyssa's Secret Guest [58]
Let the Music Play Guest [59]
2015 Drag Queens React Episode: Drag Queens Reading Mean Comments - Part 3 [60]
2016 Bestie$ for Ca$h Guest, with Heklina [61]
2017 COSMO Queens Guest [62]

References

  1. Back to citation "CALL ME ON THE OUIJA BOARD". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  2. Back to citation "'RuPaul's Drag Race': Season 4 winner is..." EW.com. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  3. Back to citation Leblanc, Jessica (2017-07-04). "Top 15 Fan Favorites From RuPaul's Drag Race". BabbleTop. Archived from the original on 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  4. Back to citation "Sharon Needles' "PG-13"". Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  5. Back to citation occurrence 5.0 Back to citation occurrence 5.1 Back to citation occurrence 5.2 Caulfied, Keith (8 February 2013). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Divas Debut in Top 10 on Billboard Dance Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  6. Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 Back to citation occurrence 6.2 Back to citation occurrence 6.3 "Exclusive Video Premiere and Interview: 'Call Me on the Ouija Board,' Sharon Needles". Interview Magazine. August 8, 2013.
  7. Back to citation @SHARON_NEEDLES (May 12, 2013). "Wish my mom a happy moms day @JoanCoady" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. Back to citation occurrence 8.0 Back to citation occurrence 8.1 @sharonneedlespgh (March 17, 2022). "Happy St. Patrick's Day!". Instagram. “As a queer, catholic raised Irish queen, I had the privilege and responsibility to demand the repeal of the 8th Amendment.”
  9. Back to citation "Sharon Needles: In depth from hell". Xtra Magazine. June 24, 2012.
  10. Back to citation "It Gets Better: Drag Edition". HuffPost. May 2, 2012; "Exclusive Video Premiere and Interview: 'Call Me on the Ouija Board,' Sharon Needles". Interview Magazine. August 8, 2013; @sharonneedlespgh; (June 12, 2023). "Happy Sharon Needles Day in the city of Pittsburgh!. there is beauty everywhere." – via Instagram.
  11. Back to citation @SHARON_NEEDLES (February 11, 2017). "Tonight there's a comet, an eclipse, and a full moon. it is also my 20 anniversary of doing drag. Happy birthday Sharon!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. Back to citation "Just who did create the Haus of Haunt?". facebook.com.
  13. Back to citation Maria Sciullo (April 21, 2012). "Reality Check: Sharon Needles makes 'Drag' Finals". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012.
  14. Back to citation occurrence 14.0 Back to citation occurrence 14.1 Daniel McEvily (April 26, 2012). "Hail Sharon". Baltimore Gay Life.
  15. Back to citation Primera Hora (November 15, 2011). "Dos "dragas" boricuas en el reality show de RuPaul". PrimeraHora.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  16. Back to citation Maria Sciullo (April 21, 2012). "Reality Check: Sharon Needles makes 'Drag' Finals". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012; Daniel McEvily (April 26, 2012). "Hail Sharon". Baltimore Gay Life; Mark O. Estes (April 30, 2012). "RuPaul's Drag Race: Why Sharon Needles Deserves To Win". TVOvermind.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2012; Tanner Stransky (January 30, 2012). "Is Sharon Needles the most 'sickening' contestant ever?". Entertainment Weekly; Joey Guerra (April 30, 2012). "RuPaul's Drag Race: Happy Halloween". The Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  17. Back to citation Tanner Stransky (January 30, 2012). "Is Sharon Needles the most 'sickening' contestant ever?". Entertainment Weekly.
  18. Back to citation Maria Sciullo (April 21, 2012). "Reality Check: Sharon Needles makes 'Drag' Finals". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012; Daniel McEvily (April 26, 2012). "Hail Sharon". Baltimore Gay Life; Mark O. Estes (April 30, 2012). "RuPaul's Drag Race: Why Sharon Needles Deserves To Win". TVOvermind.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2012; Joey Guerra (April 30, 2012). "RuPaul's Drag Race: Happy Halloween". The Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012; Chris Spargo (April 26, 2012). "Sharon Needles Talks 'Drag Race', Beyonce & Boyfriend". NewNowNext.com.
  19. Back to citation Lady Gaga (March 26, 2012). "Sharon Needles looks FABULOUS..." Twitter.
  20. Back to citation Lindsay Robertson (March 27, 2012). "Lady Gaga Tweets Her Love Of Sharon Needles' Look". NewNowNext.com.
  21. Back to citation occurrence 21.0 Back to citation occurrence 21.1 Back to citation occurrence 21.2 Back to citation occurrence 21.3 Maria Sciullo (April 30, 2012). "Sharon Needles crowned 'Drag Race' queen". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012.
  22. Back to citation occurrence 22.0 Back to citation occurrence 22.1 Back to citation occurrence 22.2 Tanner Stransky (April 26, 2012). "On the Scene at 'RuPaul's Drag Race: Reunited'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  23. Back to citation Tanner Stransky (April 30, 2012). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner speaks out". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  24. Back to citation occurrence 24.0 Back to citation occurrence 24.1 Chris Spargo (June 21, 2012). "Sharon Needles Explains Why She Won't Be On 'RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race'". NewNowNext.com.
  25. Back to citation Spargo, Chris (August 29, 2012). "'FEARce! Hosted By Sharon Needles' Coming To Logo This October". New Now Next. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  26. Back to citation Sieczkowski, Cavan (October 15, 2012). "Sharon Needles, Drag Queen, Stars In PETA Halloween 'Flesh-Eating' Ad". HuffPost. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  27. Back to citation Mueller, Benjamin (June 12, 2012). "Pittsburgh City Council honors drag queen with Sharon Needles Day". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2012; Crawley, Dave (June 12, 2012). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Winner Sharon Needles Honored". KDKA. Retrieved 13 June 2012; Spargo, Chris (June 12, 2012). "It's Sharon Needles Day In Pittsburgh: Video". NewNowNext. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  28. Back to citation Jacobs, Blake (19 April 2013). "Willam's "RuPaulogize": Never Too Late". World of Wonder. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  29. Back to citation "Sharon Needles – Andy Warhol Is Dead". Genius. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  30. Back to citation "2015 Best of People & Places". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  31. Back to citation Stafford, Zach (2012-04-25). "Uh-oh, RuPaul's Drag Race Finalist Sharon Needles May Have Said Something Racist". HuffPost. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  32. Back to citation Roth, Robert. "Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Sharon Needles Controversy". Queerspace Magazine. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  33. Back to citation Zimmerman, Amy (2021-12-08). "'Drag Race' Star Sharon Needles Terrorized a 15-Year-Old Superfan. And They Weren't Alone". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  34. Back to citation Curto, Justin (2021-12-08). "Drag Race Winner Sharon Needles Accused of Abusing Underage Fan". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  35. Back to citation Duncan, Charlie (2023-05-04). "Drag Race 'producer' spills behind-the-scenes tea – from Bosco's chocolate bar to All Winners 2". PinkNews. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  36. Back to citation Middleton, Josh (December 18, 2013). "Sharon Needles and Alaska Announce Breakup". Phillymag. Retrieved January 24, 2018; "RuPaul's Drag Race Stars Sharon Needles, Alaska Break Up - Us Weekly". usmagazine.com. 19 December 2013; "Sharon Needles, Alaska break up". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  37. Back to citation "Sharon Needles: net worth, boyfriend and dating history". celebliveupdate. 11 May 2021.
  38. Back to citation "Chad O'Connell on Twitter".
  39. Back to citation "Sharon Needles: 30 Things About My Pittsburgh". NewNowNext.
  40. Back to citation Caulfield, Keith (6 December 2014). "Adore Delano Sets 'Drag Race' Record". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  41. Back to citation Battle Axe did not enter the main Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, but peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Album Sales chart. "Sharon Needles: Chart History - Dance/Electronic Album Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  42. Back to citation Guerrero, Desiree (30 August 2019). "Alaska Shines in New Drag Documentary". Advocate. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  43. Back to citation Spargo, Chris. "'FEARCE! HOSTED BY SHARON NEEDLES' COMING TO LOGO THIS OCTOBER". logotv.com. Logo TV. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  44. Back to citation Spargo, Chris (April 23, 2013). "Sharon Needles Is Stopping By "Watch What Happens Live"". NewNowNext. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  45. Back to citation "**She's Living For This**". here TV. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  46. Back to citation Hinzmann, Dennis (October 25, 2017). "Michelle Dockery Goes Undercover with RPDR Queens In Good Behavior". Out. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  47. Back to citation Robertson, Lindsay (April 23, 2012). "Video: RuPaul And Three Finalists Star In 'Glamazon' Video". NewNowNext. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  48. Back to citation "Willam Belli's 'RuPaulogize' Video Features Sharon Needles As RuPaul, Roller Skating Mayhem". huffpost.com. HuffPost. 22 April 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  49. Back to citation Nichols, James (23 July 2013). "Pandora Boxx, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Star, Debuts 'You Seemed Shady To Me' Video With Adam Barta". huffpost.com. HuffPost. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  50. Back to citation Alaska Thunderfuck - Hieeee [Official]. YouTube. June 8, 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  51. Back to citation Voss, Brandon (March 10, 2019). ""Drag Race" All-Stars Butch It Up in Kahanna Montrese's "Scores" Video". NewNowNext.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  52. Back to citation RuPaul Drives...Sharon Needles. YouTube. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  53. Back to citation Sharon Needles - Ring My Bell. YouTube. August 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  54. Back to citation Sharon Needles' Horrorscope - The Return of The Living Dead. YouTube. October 3, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  55. Back to citation Sharon Needles and Alaska: Pure Camp - License To Grill. YouTube. September 5, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  56. Back to citation Cooking with Sharon Needles - Vegetarian Italian. YouTube. November 20, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  57. Back to citation RuPaul on WOW Shopping Network - Glamazon. YouTube. June 27, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  58. Back to citation Alyssa Edwards' Secret - Halloween Special with Sharon Needles. YouTube. October 27, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  59. Back to citation Sharon Needles' Let The Music Play - This Club Is a Haunted House Featuring RuPaul. YouTube. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  60. Back to citation Part 3 | Drag Queens Reading Mean Comments w/ Jinkx, Bebe, Raja, Raven, Chad, Tyra, Sharon, Violet. YouTube. August 25, 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  61. Back to citation Sharon Needles & Heklina - Bestie$ for Ca$h. YouTube. February 22, 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  62. Back to citation Sharon Needles | COSMO Queens | Cosmopolitan. YouTube. October 30, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
Retrieved from "https://catholicism.wiki/index.php?title=Sharon_Needles&oldid=139931"