Interview with a Superstar – AlexDana
VR: Who is AlexDana?
AD: ALEXDANA IS A MAN OF MANY CHARACTERISTICS. HE’ S STRONG-WILLED, HARDHEADED, DETERMINED, BUT HE ALSO HAS A WARM HEART AND VERY LOYAL.
VR: Where are you living these days?
AD: IN THE UPPER FLORIDA KEYS.
VR: I know this is a hard question, but can you tell us what your life has been about say the last 10-15 years?
AD: SHAKY AND UNBALANCED AT TIMES. I HAVE HAD SOME VERY HARD TIMES, WHICH, LOOKING AT IT NOW, I HAVE BROUGHT IT UPON MYSELF. I WOULD HAVE SAY THAT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED TO LIKE MYSELF MORE AND I HAVE BEEN MORE RESPONSIBLE.
VR: Who was your inspiration when you were growing up?
AD: YOU KNOW, I LIVED IN A FANTASY WORLD WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. I USED TO SEE TV A LOT AND GET LOST IN IT. A LOT OF THE TV WOMEN ARE THE ONES I ADMIRED, LIKE JEANNIE, BEWITCHED’S SAMANTHA, THE ANGELS, WONDER WOMAN- I WAS A TRUE QUEER!
VR: Who do you admire these days?
AD: MYSELF
VR: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
AD: TO LEARN TO BE INDEPENDENT. I KNOW TODAY THAT ALEX HERNANDEZ DOES NOT NEED TO BE ATTACHED TO ANYONE TO BE HAPPY.
VR: Well it is time I asked you about the “FloridaDragNews”, what is it about?
AD: FLORIDA DRAG NEWS IS A PROJECT THAT A FRIEND OF MINE, KARA DUREE, AND MYSELF STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO. IT STARTED AS A NOT VERY POPULAR FORUM DUE TO THE NEGATIVE POSTINGS THAT WERE ALLOWED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, BUT SLOWLY WE CHANGED THAT.
VR: Who are the others that help you with “FloridaDragNews”?
AD: JOCEWLYN SUMMERS AND ROLANDO GARCIA- THEY ARE THE BEST REPORTERS ANYONE CAN ASK FOR. I ALSO WANT TO THANK KARA DUREE FOR ALL THE HELP HE HAS DONE WITH THE WEBSITE, HE IS GREAT!
VR: Why would you ever want to have a forum like “FloridaDragNews”, isn’t a lot of work and a lot of hours?
AD: THIS IS MY WAY OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE ART OF FEMALE IMPERSONATION
VR: I know you do interviews also for the “FloridaDragNews” can you share with us, who you thought was your best interview and why? (I wont ask who the worst was, it would not be fair to you)
AD: IN ALL HONESTY, AND THIS IS NOT TO GET OUT OF THIS QUESTION- I HAVE ENJOYED ALL THEM. I LEARN SOMETHING FROM AND EACH AND EVERY INTERVIEW.
VR: What really makes you happy?
AD: EVERYONE GETTING ALONG
VR: What really makes you upset?
AD: PEOPLE WHO GET OFF AT BEING MISERABLE TO OTHERS. I HAD THIS PERSON IN MY LIFE WHO WAS CONSTANTLY CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH ME AND OTHERS. I DECIDED THAT ME GETTING UPSET AT THIS PERSON WAS NOT WORTH IT BECAUSE THAT PERSON WAS NOT GOING TO CHANGE. MISERY LOVES COMPANY AND THAT IS NOT MY BALL GAME.
VR: Do you have any pet peeves?
AD: DON’T TALK TO ME WHEN I AM WATCHING TV.
VR: Do you think you are a nice person or do you think you can be a horse’s ass at times?
AD: BOTH
VR: Have you ever done drag yourself?
AD: OH YEAHHHHH- BUT I THINK I LOOK BETTER BEING IN THE AUDIENCE
VR: Do you get nervous when you are asked to speak to a group or perform on stage?
AD: HONEY, I SHAKE AND WOBBLE ON THE WAY. BUT THEN I GET OVER IT WHEN THE MUSIC STARTS.
VR: Here is where I usually ask the question “Have you ever had a true love in life?” Well I know you have, she was a very very special person, Dana Manchester. I know she has left us a while ago, a true loss to all of us, can you tell my readers who she was and what she meant to you?
AD: DANA MANCHESTER WAS A SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE. I MET DANA ON MARCH 23, 1983 AT AN A.I.D.S. BENEFIT. SHE WAS REMARKABLE. HER PRESENCE, HER ATTITUDE, HER COMMAND OF THE STAGE. WHEN YOU WENT TO A DANA, SHOW, YOU FELT HER ENERGY, HER LOVE. OH, AND CAN WE SAY BEAUTY AND TALENT ALL IN ONE? MANY ENTERTAINERS SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT DANA DID FOR THEM AND WHAT SHE DID FOR THE ART OF FEMALE IMPERSONATION, BUT I WON’T.NOBODY, AND I MEAN NOBODY, WILL EVER COME TO CLOSE TO DANA MANCHESTER AS FAR AS ENTERTAINERS. AS FAR AS LOVERS, THERE THIS ONE GUY BUT I GOT OVER THAT QUICKLY ENOUGH.
VR: Have you found love since then?
AD: NO AND IT’S OK.
VR: Where do you see yourself in the future?
AD: HOPEFULLY WITH A CUTE 22 YEAR YOUNG STUD!( LOL)
VR: I know a lot of girls that do female impersonation do not feel they are transgendered or should be put in that category, what are your feeling on this matter?
AD: THIS WHOLE TRANSGENDERED, FEMALE IMPERSONATION, DRAGQUEEN, TRANSSEXUAL CROSSEDESSER NAME- CALLING SHIT IS JUST SHIT. DRAG IS DRAG TO ME- ALL LOVE THEM ALL!
VR: Do you have a favorite movie and why?
AD: GREASE- IT’S A HAPPY MUSICAL AND I LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS!
VR: Who is your favorite fiction character(s), in literature or in the movies, and why?
AD: TV-KELLY GARRETT played by JACLYN SMITH ON CHARLIE’S ANGELS
VR: Can you recommend us a motivating or inspirational book, that has changed your perception about the world?
AD: THE ADAM WALSH BOOK- GREAT BOOK. MADE ME REALIZE THAT THERE ARE REALLY SICK BASTARDS OUT THERE AND THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT SAFE.
VR: What words of wisdom would you give a to someone who is young and just trying to make her mark in the world of drag?
AD: ALWAYS BE ON YOUR TOES AND ALWAYS HAVE A SMILE FOR YOUR PUBLIC.
VR: Do you have a final statement, for our readers?
AD: AS IN THE WORD OF DANA MANCHESTER, ” IF YOU CAN’T LET YOUR HAIR DOWN, TAKE IT OFF!”
You can also find more information about Alex by emailing him at: EMAIL
Note from Vicki Rene: I have never met Alex face to face but have talked to this man many time. He and the rest of the peopl at the “Florida Drag News” do a lot of the “drag community” with interviews of all the ladies and letting us all know what is going on down here in what I call the “Hot Bed of Drag”.
