Joey Arias facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joey Arias
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At the 2009 HOWL! Festival in the East Village
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| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Joseph Arias, Joe Arias |
| Known for | performance artist, cabaret singer, recording artist |
Joey Arias, also known as Joseph Arias and Joe Arias, is an American artist. He is known for his work as a performance artist, a cabaret singer, and a drag artist. He is also a published author, comedian, and film actor. Joey Arias lives and works in New York City.
Joey Arias's Career
Early Years and Collaborations (1970s–1980s)
After finishing high school, Joey Arias sang with a rock band called Purlie. They released a song in 1973. Later, he worked with an improv comedy group called the Groundlings.
In 1976, he moved to New York City with his friend Kim Hastreiter. Kim later helped start Paper magazine.
Joey Arias found a job at Fiorucci, a designer clothing store. He and other staff members would perform in the store windows. While there, he became friends with musician Klaus Nomi. Joey sang backup for Klaus and helped design his stage sets and costumes.
On December 15, 1979, Joey Arias and Klaus Nomi performed with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live. They sang three songs: "The Man Who Sold the World", "TVC 15", and "Boys Keep Swinging".
In New York, Joey also performed with Ann Magnuson in a band called Strange Party. They recorded music and played in various nightclubs. After Klaus Nomi passed away, Joey Arias became responsible for his estate. A tribute to Klaus is held in Berlin every year. A documentary film about Klaus, called The Nomi Song, was released in 2004.
Joey Arias became involved in the growing performance art scene in New York in the 1980s. He often performed at Club 57 and other places downtown. During this time, he also started a career in cabaret. He would sing in a style similar to the famous singer Billie Holiday.
Stage Shows and West Village Performances (1990s)
In the early 1990s, Joey Arias performed songs by Billie Holiday in a show called Strange Fruit. This show ran for over a year at the Astor Place Theatre in New York City. It received good reviews from critics.
During the 1990s, Joey Arias also performed weekly shows at Bar d'O. This was a cozy lounge in the West Village of New York City. Other performers like Sade Pendavis and Daniel Isengart often joined him. These evenings became so popular that they inspired yearly reunion shows. A documentary film about these performances was made in 2011.
Las Vegas and Return to New York (2000s–2010s)
In 2003, Joey Arias moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He starred in Cirque du Soleil's show Zumanity at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. He also helped write two of the songs for the show.
After six years, Joey Arias returned to New York. There, he starred in Arias with a Twist. This was a special show he created with puppeteer Basil Twist at HERE Arts Center. The show received a positive review from the New York Times. Arias with a Twist has toured to Los Angeles and Paris. A film about the show, also called Arias with a Twist, premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival in 2010.
A new and improved version of the show, Arias with a Twist: Deluxe, returned to New York in 2011. Joey Arias also performed concerts in New York, including a show at Town Hall in 2010.
Ongoing Performances and Archives (2010–Present)
Joey Arias continues to perform in various venues today. Some of these include Joe's Pub and Feinstein's/54 Below.
In 2019, his collection of personal and career materials was acquired by Harvard's Houghton Library. This collection also includes items related to Klaus Nomi.
In November 2023, Joey Arias released his album titled Past Present Future.
Film Appearances
Joey Arias has appeared in several films. These include Big Top Pee-wee, Mondo New York, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Flawless, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and Wigstock: The Movie.
He also appeared in the 2016 film The Zanctuary by Spanish director José André Sibaja. In 2012, he was interviewed in the documentary film Jobriath A.D..
Christmas with the Crawfords
Joey Arias played the role of Joan Crawford in New York and San Francisco productions of Christmas with the Crawfords. This play is a holiday tradition that started in 1992. The San Francisco production first appeared in New York in 2000. Joey Arias also starred in revivals of the play in 2001 and 2015.
About Joey Arias's Life
Joey Arias was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. When he was six years old, his family moved to Los Angeles. He married his partner, Scottish artist Juano Diaz, in 2014. They later divorced in 2017.
Music Albums
Albums
- PAST PRESENT FUTURE (2023)
Singles
- "Fish Out of Water"
- "Good Morning Heartache"
- "Nevertheless"
- "Neil Innes"
- "No One Knows"
- "Them Them Eyes"
- "Them There Eyes"
See Also
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
- NYC Pride March
