Drag artist, cabaret singer, performance artist.
Joey Arias was involved in New York’s performance art scene in the 1980s, appearing regularly at Club 57 and other downtown venues. During these years he also began a career in cabaret, channeling the vocal style and mannerisms of Billie Holiday.
In the early 1990s, Arias covered the songs of the legendary Billie Holiday in a show titled “Strange Fruit.” He was featured on the cover of THING magazine, issue #8 and interviewed by Robert Ford.
Arias, who is openly gay, has won accolades for his exquisite impersonation of Holiday. Nelson Sullivan recorded Arias at Gaylords’ 1939 World’s Fair Spectacular held at NY’s Limelight in 1986.
Arias’ film credits include Big Top Pee-wee; Mondo New York; Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; Flawless; To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Wigstock: The Movie and the 2016 film The Zanctuary, by the Spanish director José André Sibaja, and co-starring Amanda Lepore and Sophia Lamar. He appeared in the German documentary Wie ich lernte die Zahlen zu lieben/How I Learned to Love the Numbers (2014), by Oliver Sechting and Max Taubert. In 2012, he was interviewed in the documentary feature film Jobriath A.D.
