Then-28-year-old New York City underground club performer Kevin Aviance ( née Eric Snead ) , was the first-ever drag queen to design and release a line of women's shoes. The gender-bending personality inherent in Aviance came to light when the young performer was in seventh grade donning female clothing for musical numbers he would perform at his junior high school in Richmond, Va. Idolizing entertainers Grace Jones and Boy George, Aviance dreamed of one day being accepted by his peers and making a name for himself in the world of music. In the late 1990s, the powerhouse diva would make those dreams come true, but not without his fine share of hardships.
While residing in Washington, D.C. as a young adult, a crack addiction almost stopped Aviance in his tracks. Still going by the name "Eric Snead" at the time, the young impressionable lad would take solace and recovery in the House of Aviance and then adopt the name in its honor.
Aviance left Washington, D.C. for the lights and fame of New York City and created the hits, "Din Da Daa," "Rhythm Is My Bitch," "Alive," "Give It Up" and "Strut." The songs were no strangers to the Billboard dance chartall of the singles reaching the #1 spot. Performing drag as a gay African-American individual became his bread-and-butter job.
Then, in 1999, Aviance would star as a singer opposite voluminous award-winning actor Robert DeNiro in the Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated film Flawless. He would follow-up this performance starring as "Miss Smokie" in the 2000 film Punks ( with co-stars Seth Gilliam and Andre Johnson ) . With guest appearances on The Tyra Banks Show and America's Next Top Model, Aviance appeared to be on the top of the world, but that would all change.
Read more at Black, Gifted and Gay by LGBT media pioneer Leyla Farah ( with assistance from LGBT celebrity reporter Sarah Toce ) .