Fairfield’s Jace Pearson has gone from strength to strength since Australia’s Got Talent launched him across the country as the Yodelling Drag Queen, LayDee KinMee. It was an outrageous performance that wowed Dannii Minogue, Brian McFadden and hard-to-please Kyle Sandilands.
Jace is just back from doing nightclub performances in Vienna – and he’s booked to go back next month, as well as to Prague, Helsinki and Amsterdam.
On top of which he’s just won a Mo award for Variety Act of the Year for his touring production show Drags to Bitches.
He still lives with his Mum in the family home at Fairfield; his Dad died three years ago. Growing up queer in the south-west had its challenges. The bullying began at primary school and didn’t stop until he left high school.
Yet, apart from that, he says his time at school here was generally happy and he had lots of friends. Ironically, most of whom were also gay and closeted like him.
His family were very accepting and he never had a sit-down coming-out.
But, he says, he did have a drag coming-out. His Mum said: “Well, if you're going to be wearing a dress on TV it’s time we tell your father!”
We spoke to Jace in the back room at his home as he got into costume and makeup for a performance that night at Triglav at St Johns Park club. You can watch a video of the transition below.
Australia's Got Talent certainly launched you.
But what a process! There were auditions before the auditions you see on TV. Lots of planning and pre-phone calls and meetings before that. It all started in October 2011 and we didn't do the official audition till May 2012. At Parramatta Riverside Theatres in front of Dannii Minogue, Brian McFadden and Kyle Sandilands, the judges. Grant Denyer was the host.
Nerve-racking just sitting there all day. I was in the afternoon session and had to be there at midday and I was the second last contestant and went on after 8pm. I was most worried about Kyle, he's very blunt, but if he says you're shit, you’re shit.
What did they say to you?
I got a standing ovation and Brian said “a massive yes from me!” and Dannii said “I loved it and it's a massive yodellayhee yes!” Kyle said “I'll give you one, too." In the semi-finals he said I was his favourite drag queen and I have the fastest-flicking tongue Down Under [laughs].
What did you take away from the experience?
Lots of the contestants were full-time performers and I learnt a lot from them. I wish I knew as much then as I do now. I’d been criticised for a long time so I already had a thick skin but I learned a lot about the business side.
Any big mistakes?
I may have got further if I’d listened to the producers more but everything I did was my decision. I was true to myself, and happy about that. The producers told some girls who did the show with me what song to sing and they said yes and the judges ripped them apart for it. I'm really glad when the producers said we want you to sing The Lonely Goatherd, from The Sound of Music, and I was like over my dead body! I thought it was cliched and tacky and predictable. I did Chime Bells, a yodelling classic. But I made it all cute and had dancing boys.
Did you bristle at anything else they requested?
When I came back for the Live Decider they wanted me to swing on a rope and be caught by a singer, then jump off the rope and go sing with them. I looked at them a bit funny and they realised it was a bit much. I ended up walking down a large staircase instead [laughs].
How do you protect yourself and come across as a real person?
You have to stay true to yourself, be honest, don't try to bend things for votes. If they ask you to do something you don't want to do just say no.
Unlike the rest of the country, in the marriage-equality vote our region voted overwhelmingly no. We’re one of the country's most culturally diverse regions and yet we find it hard to embrace sexual diversity.
I was bullied at school from age 8 because the boys found out I did dance classes. You dance, you're gay.
I've lived here in this house since I was 1. Look, I've been fine. I was bullied at school from age 8 because the boys found out I did dance classes. You dance, you're gay [laughs]. I was called gay, poof, faggot, from 8 to 18. The first time was in year 3 at the local primary school. I got every label under the sun you can think of.
You'd get a bit upset at first. But, seriously, it was like every day of my life for 10 years, until I left high school. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Did teachers intervene?
If you told them they would. If they heard it themselves they’d say something. I guess they were supportive. I am out there but I didn't date boys or anything at school. I had a few girlfriends at school, nothing serious.
When did you come out to yourself?
I don't know. I don't think people truly know what they are until they experience everything. Technically, I call myself pansexual now.
What does that mean?
Pansexual is about the person, rather than gender. People say isn't that bi, but bisexual people technically only like males and females and pansexual covers everything in the middle – intersex, transsexual, transgender, the full scope.
When did you make that realisation?
I was quite lucky, I never had to have the sit-down talk with my parents so it was just always assumed and I didn't have to correct them, neither confirm nor deny.
About five years ago. I'm 33 now. I had a girlfriend when I left school. I was working on a cruise ship. I wasn't against it. I know a lot of gay guys try it and they're so disgusted. Some just don't try it all but I didn't have a problem with it. But I have a stronger attraction to boys. I dated a guy who was trans – a lot of gay guys wouldn't do that.
My dad died three years ago but both my parents were there for my childhood. I was quite lucky, I never had to have the sit-down talk so it was just always assumed and I didn't have to correct them, neither confirm nor deny. In fact, they were very shocked when I brought home a girl. And they were fine when I brought home a boy.
And there are venues we can go to here. There's Heaven Social Dance here in Fairfield.
I'm out and about here all the time and I’ve never been abused on the street or even had people here look at me funny. I've actually copped more on Oxford Street than here. There you get hooligans driving up and down, yelling out. That annoys me more because that's our territory, if you don't like it stay away.
If you got it out here I wouldn't accept it but I wouldn't be shocked. But I've never had it here. Apart from at school.
And I must say school wasn't lonely for me. I had friends. And I gotta say most of my friends ended up being gay. We never discussed it at school. It wasn't until my 21st we all came out to each other. Most of them come see me perform.
The first time you put on drag?
Oooh. I was just practising at home to see what it’d look like. You're a bit tragic when you start out. I was 23. It's something I decided I wanted to do. I went public a month or two later, at the Midnight Shift [on Oxford Street], called Queen, drag queens got in for free. Friends were going and I thought I’m just gonna get dressed up and go! And I did.
I didn't tell Mum and Dad at first. I entered a drag competition to become a castmember at Heaven at Northmead which I ended up winning. I told my younger sister Alice about it. She knew I was buying wigs and costumes and things. She came to Heaven a few times. She took it upon herself because she thought my mum should know. So she brought her along one night. I’ve got two mums and they're both Beverly. My drag mum is Beverly Buttercup. B1 and B2.
I saw her when she walked in. I pretended I didn't! After the show she was really quiet. It was a lot for her to deal with. Which shocked me 'cos I thought she'd be fine.
And then after I auditioned for Australia's Got Talent she's like well, we have to tell your father now before he sees you on television!
His name was Barry. Barry and Beverly. Great parents. And he ended up being completely fine. Yes, we were all worried about him. Mum told him in bed, as they were falling asleep. She came running out. "I told your father!" I said: "And . . . ?" He was fine. He was a truckdriver and, in fact, he got all his mates to watch me on television!
Where did your drag name come from?
My "porn" name is Lady KayCee, you know, your first pet and your first street, which was Casey. Then a lot of friends said, no, you need innuendo. My mum doesn't like the name. She thinks that's why I was sent off the show [laughs], she thinks they suddenly realised what it was!
How's business been since the show?
Before drag was just part-time and now it’s 95+ per cent of my income.
What would you do if you didn't have drag?
I performed as a boy, well, I still do. I do a lot of hosting work as well, but I used to be a florist. That was day job.
Where would you like drag to take you?
Anywhere and everywhere. I quite like that I'm doing things I never would’ve done. One of my favourite places in the world is Seoul and I never would've gone there but it was drag and yodelling that took me there. When I started I lip-synced like everyone else because I didn't want to stand out, didn't want people thinking I was too different and putting me down. But then Beverly Buttercup came to one of my boy shows and she said you must sing in drag and then she saw the yodelling and said must yodel – it's so camp.
And I sing regular songs. Everyone loves my Celine Dion – Power of Love, My Heart Will Go On, Because You Loved Me. I Drove All Night, I'm Alive. I got tickets to her Sydney show. In the second row. She's fabulous, so down to earth. My idol.
Sometimes when you put on a costume you're free to do things, say things you'd not usually do . . .
Yeah, no filter! It's good, people love it. I use a lot of innuendo in drag. My crowds are mostly women and rainbow people. Everyone loves it. Even the men who come with their wives end up loving it. And sometimes they're quite fun when they get into it!
I'm always very careful who I pick on from the stage. I only pick on people who clearly want to be picked on. The loud ones, who are already making themselves part of the show.
I get odd looks in traffic. I was driving to Penrith and this woman in the car next to me started screaming hysterically: 'Kids! Kids! Look at the drag queen! Look at the drag queen!'
Ever feel vulnerable in drag?
I always feel safe, people are friendly. And apart from Drags to Bitches, every show I do I arrive and leave in drag. I drive all ready to go on, in character the whole way. Every now and again I get odd looks in traffic. Last week I was driving to Penrith and this woman in the car next to me started screaming hysterically: "Kids! Kids! Look at the drag queen! Look at the drag queen!" The light went green and I waved and drove off. The kids were young and loved it. They like anything shiny.
And that's my out tag.
- Tuesdays: Turbo Trivia, Top Pub Penrith
- Wednesdays: Turbo Trivia, Triglav St Johns Park
- Thursdays: Turbo Trivia Rusty Udder Bar Wyong
- Monthly Naughty Numbers Bingo, Campbelltown RSL
- Monthly Turbo Trivia, Rusty Udder Bar Wyong
- Drags to Bitches touring show, various locations
- website: laydeekinmee.com.