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Pride

RuPaul's Best Career Moments: A Photo Timeline of the Drag Icon

By Billboard Staff
1/8/2020
  • Copied to clipboard
Tom Hill/WireImage
1 / 25
Item 1 of 25

A Photo Timeline of RuPaul's Career

Take a scroll though the 56-year-old star's life in photos, from 1979 to today.

By Billboard Staff
1/8/2020
  • Copied to clipboard
Artist Mentioned

RuPaul

Steve Eichner/WireImage
2 / 25
Item 2 of 25

1990

RuPaul at the Roxy in New York City in 1990.
Eric Weiss/Penske Media/REX/Shutterstock
3 / 25
Item 3 of 25

1992

RuPaul attends Henri Bendel's anniversary celebration, hosted by Jean-Paul Gaultier and Susan Falk on April 10, 1992, in New York City.
Ke.Mazur/WireImage
4 / 25
Item 4 of 25

1993

RuPaul (second from left) with Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana at the 10th annual MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 2, 1993, in Los Angeles.
Porter Gifford/Liaison
5 / 25
Item 5 of 25

1993

RuPaul performs during the Gay Rights March on April 25, 1993, in Washington, D.C.
James Crump/WireImage
6 / 25
Item 6 of 25

1993

RuPaul performs at the World Theater in Tinley Park, Illinois, on June 8, 1993.
Alan Davidson/Silverhub/REX/Shutterstock
7 / 25
Item 7 of 25

1994

RuPaul and Elton John perform at the 1994 Brit Awards held at Alexandra Palace on Feb. 14, 1994, in London.
Evan Agostini/Liaison
8 / 25
Item 8 of 25

1995

RuPaul at the Kids for Kids benefit carnival on Oct. 1, 1995, in New York City. The carnival, which was funded by Harper's Bazaar magazine, was the third held by the Pediatric AIDS Foundation to raise funds for research.
Alexis DUCLOS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
9 / 25
Item 9 of 25

1995

RuPaul attends the opening of his store in London on April 19, 1995.
Paul Harris/Getty Images
10 / 25
Item 10 of 25

1996

RuPaul and Diana Ross film a music video together on Santa Monica Boulevard on Jan. 7, 1996, in West Hollywood.
Ron Wolfson/Getty Images
11 / 25
Item 11 of 25

1998

RuPaul attends the premiere of "An Unexpected Life" on June 15, 1998, in Hollywood.
Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images
12 / 25
Item 12 of 25

1999

RuPaul attends the 10th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Gala on March 28, 1999, in New York City.
Fred Hayes/WireImage
13 / 25
Item 13 of 25

2003

RuPaul and Tammy Faye Bakker Messner at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 15, 2003, in Park City, Utah.
Teresa Lee/Getty Images
14 / 25
Item 14 of 25

2004

RuPaul performs at Wigstock on Aug. 21, 2004, at Tompkins Square Park, in New York City.
Carley Margolis/FilmMagic
15 / 25
Item 15 of 25

2005

RuPaul launches his doll created by Jason Wu at Arcadia Gallery in New York City on Aug. 4, 2005.
Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
16 / 25
Item 16 of 25

2009

RuPaul takes the stage during the taping of "RuPaul's Drag Race" season 2 on July 31, 2009, in in Culver City, California.
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
17 / 25
Item 17 of 25

2011

RuPaul, Elton John and Michael Stipe attend the 19th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Pacific Design Center on Feb. 27, 2011, in West Hollywood.
Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
18 / 25
Item 18 of 25

2014

RuPaul attends The Instagram Art of Mathu Anderson opening on Nov. 13, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Courtesy of Logo
19 / 25
Item 19 of 25

2017

RuPaul and Lady Gaga on season 9 of "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Gary Gershoff/WireImage
20 / 25
Item 20 of 25

2017

RuPaul attends the Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2017 in New York City.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
21 / 25
Item 21 of 25

2018

RuPaul is honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 16, 2018 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
22 / 25
Item 22 of 25

2018

RuPaul (C) and cast and crew accept the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program for 'RuPaul's Drag Race' onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 17, 2018 in Los Angeles.
Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
23 / 25
Item 23 of 25

2018

RuPaul during the ceremonial ribbon cutting at RuPaul's DragCon NYC 2018 at Javits Center on Sept. 29, 2018 in New York City.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
24 / 25
Item 24 of 25

2019

RuPaul (C) and the team behind RuPaul's Drag Race pose with awards for Outstanding Competition Program in the press room during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 22, 2019 in Los Angeles.
Saeed Adyani/Netflix
25 / 25
Item 25 of 25

2020

RuPaul appears in new Netflix show AJ and the Queen, which premiered on Netflix in January 2020.

By Billboard Staff
1/8/2020
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