Honey Davenport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Honey Davenport
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Davenport in 2020
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| Born |
James Clark
August 13, 1985 West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Other names | Sir Honey Davenport |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 11) |
| Spouse(s) |
John Heath-Clark
(m. 2012) |
| Relatives | Lee Daniels (cousin) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Chew Fu |
| Associated acts |
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James Heath-Clark (born August 13, 1985), known by the stage name Honey Davenport, is an American drag queen, singer, actor, and activist. A drag queen is a performance artist, usually male, who uses costumes and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers for entertainment purposes.
Davenport became known around the world as a contestant on season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Before the show, she was a popular performer in the New York City nightlife scene. Born in West Philadelphia, Heath-Clark studied musical theatre in college. He started his career as a backup dancer for another famous drag queen, Peppermint.
After becoming a drag performer, Davenport competed in many pageants, winning 18 titles. She has also starred in plays and released her own music. Davenport uses her art to talk about important topics like social justice. She speaks up for fairness and equality, inspired by her own life experiences.
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Early Life and First Steps in Drag
James Heath-Clark was born on August 13, 1985, in West Philadelphia. Growing up, he faced challenges like racism and violence in his neighborhood. These experiences led him to start writing poetry about social justice when he was only 10 years old. He also loved music and sang in his church choir.
At age 17, Heath-Clark moved to New York City to study musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. After college, he performed in the national tour of the musical Hairspray. This was his first time seeing drag as a performance art, and it inspired him.
He then worked as a backup dancer for the drag queen Peppermint for four years. In 2008, he started his own dance group called The Hunties. To attract more people to their shows, they added drag elements to their dances. Soon, Heath-Clark began performing alone as a drag queen. He chose the name Honey Davenport and was mentored by his "drag mother," Lady Deja Davenport. A drag mother is an experienced drag queen who acts as a guide for a new performer.
Career Highlights
Pageants and Stage Shows
Before her television fame, Davenport was a star in the world of drag pageants. She won 18 different titles, including the national title of Miss'd America in 2015. She also hosted many drag shows in New York City and other places.
Davenport has also acted in several plays. In 2013, she was in an off-Broadway science-fiction musical called The Orion Experience. From 2017 to 2018, she had the lead role in another play called Trinkets.
RuPaul's Drag Race
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After trying out eight times, Davenport was chosen for the 11th season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2019. This popular TV show is a competition for drag queens. She competed against 14 other performers.
Davenport is part of a famous "drag family." Her drag mother taught her, and her drag aunts, Sahara Davenport and Kennedy Davenport, also competed on Drag Race. Her drag daughter, Monét X Change, won a season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Davenport finished in 13th place on her season.
Music and Tours
While Drag Race was on TV, Davenport released an EP (a short album) called Raw and Unfiltered. The music videos for the songs showed the outfits she would have worn on the show if she had not been eliminated.
Since the show, she has released more music and toured across the United States and in other countries like Australia. In 2020, she released a song with fellow drag artist Aja called "Draw the Blood." The song was about the importance of standing up against racism. In 2022, she released her second EP, Love Is God.
In 2023, she co-starred in a movie called God Save the Queens. The film follows the lives of three different drag queens.
Activism and Standing for a Cause
Davenport uses her fame to be an activist. An activist is someone who works to bring about political or social change. She often creates performances and music based on political ideas. She wants to be a voice for people who are not always heard.
She has been very vocal about racial equality. In 2018, she took a stand against what she felt was racism at a gay bar in New York where she had worked for six years. She quit her job during a live show to protest the issue. This event brought national attention to the topic of racism within the community.
Davenport has also spoken in support of transgender rights. She believes that everyone in the LGBTQ+ community should support each other. In 2023, she performed at a march in Los Angeles to protest laws that could harm LGBTQ+ people.
Personal Life
Heath-Clark is married to his husband, John. They got married on December 31, 2012. He lived in New York City for many years but moved to Los Angeles after his time on Drag Race.
His family is very supportive of his career. His mother was at first unsure about him doing drag, but she changed her mind after seeing him perform. His father also became a big fan after seeing him in a play. Heath-Clark's cousin is the famous Hollywood director Lee Daniels, who is known for the TV show Empire and the movie Precious.
Images for kids
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Honey Davenport at RuPaul's DragCon LA 2022
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See also
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
