“RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Sahara Davenport (real name Antoine Ashley) may have only made it to the halfway point of the reality competition’s second season, but the New York native is certainly working it like a winner.
“I’m a lot busier professionally,” she said about how being on the show has affected her career. “I’m allowed to ask for more money. That’s the biggest change. I get recognized everywhere I go. Before, I’d be out in a nightclub and they’d know who I was. Now it’s on the train, in Popeye’s, everywhere.”
Davenport was shocked to find out that Macy’s knows who she is too. She has been tapped to host a Pride fashion show for the department-store giant at its Center City location June 9.
“I was surprised that Macy’s called,” she said. “I was like, ‘Macy’s is calling me? What are they doing?’ I’ll be commentating and hosting the fashion show. There will be a meet-and-greet at which I’ll be autographing photographs. I’ll also be debuting my new hit single, ‘Hump With Me.’”
Hit single? Debut?
“I hope it’ll be a hit.”
(We’re glad she cleared that up.)
About her tastes in music, Davenport said, “I love Janet Jackson; anything pop, dance and positive.”
And, while she’s happy about her post-“Drag Race” fame, Davenport isn’t 100-pecent satisfied with the way things went on the show.
“Of course, I wanted to win so I was disappointed,” she said. “But reality television is a crap shoot. I’m happy with the way I represented myself and it’s really paying off now.”
While a number of her “Drag Race” competitors are returning to the Logo network for “Drag U,” a spin-off of “Drag Race,” Davenport said she will not be among them.
“I think that Logo was very well aware that I wanted nothing to do with reality TV after ‘Drag Race,’ she said. “I was not willing to fight for the spotlight with 12 bitches once again. It wasn’t unpleasant. It’s just I’m a bit of a princess and the whole fighting and the cattiness thing was not my thing and that’s what was off-putting about the experience for me. I had some amazing moments and meeting the girls was awesome, but the reality drama was not what I was cut out for. I’ve always been a one-woman act, so I think I am enough of a show myself.”
To prove that point, Davenport is plotting her own show, but said its debut is going to have to wait until things slow down a bit.
“I’ve just written a one-woman show that will include some original music. I’m just so busy now with touring, the single and gay Pride that I’m having to push things back.”
She added that while she could be doing a lot more performing all over the country, she prefers to get as much mileage from her newfound fame in her current home, New York City.
“Before I was a professional drag queen, I was a professional dancer,” she said. “So I’ve toured with musicals and I’ve seen a bit of the world, especially the States. So right now while everything is hot, I want to focus on the things that I want to do while I have the city at my disposal.”
Sahara Davenport hosts Macy’s Pride Fashion Show from 5:30-7 p.m. June 9 at Macy’s Center City, 1300 Market St. For more information, visit www.saharadavenport.com or call (215) 241-9000.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].