Brie Austin

Kevin Aviance

Kevin Aviance is a club kid, party promoter, #1 Billboard dance recording artist! Being fabulous is about mind, body, and shoes! 

BORN: MALE
OCCUPATION: DIVA, SINGER
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5 BILLBOARD NUMBER 1 RECORDS

Regardless of what people say about Kevin Aviance, the name provokes a reaction. My dear friend Jeanette exclaimed, “I love Kevin; she is so fierce!” I assumed she was referring to Kevin’s look and power onstage. I was to learn in time that Kevin’s strength is so much more than the image you see. It’s also a frame of mind.

Spectrum Magazine called Kevin “the hardest working performer in New York clubland.” I experienced this firsthand a few years ago in the V.I.P. lounge at Eugene’s during the grand opening of Yvonne Lame’s new party. DJ Fabian was spinning and pounding dance music, and the crowd engaged. Suddenly, all eyes focused on the silhouette of a tall bald woman standing on a table and casting a shadow across the room. It is no wonder that Buzz Magazine called Kevin “a crowd pleaser … energetic and glamorous.” As (s)he turned for an impromptu performance, the crowd screamed with delight, and the essence of this performer was revealed: what you see is what you get, one hundred percent!

That was two years ago, and today, Kevin has another #1 dance record on the Billboard dance charts, entitled “Alive. ” This is the artist’s second #1 record in three years. But with the newly released album on Emerge Records, “Entity,” Kevin claims that she is evolving. Today, I wondered—who is Kevin Aviance?

Beginning her career as a young, take-no-prisoners personality, she burst onto the Washington DC underground club scene, first as a party promoter, and then a performer. Born Eric Snead, (s)he changed her name to Kevin and took her last name from the legendary vogue house she belonged to (House of Aviance), which started in Washington DC (similar to the NY House of Extravaganza, portrayed in the movie Paris is Burning). “My roots are planted in the House of Aviance, they are my family, and I love them all,” she recently told me.

The author Victor Hugo once said, “Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots,” and it appears that Kevin has done just that.

When you speak with Kevin and really listen, you realize that this performer has depth, soul, and spirit. She is true to who she is, apologizes to no one, and exists to be free—my kind of girl!

Kevin Aviance

B: For the benefit of the readers, do you prefer to be referred to as he, she, or does it matter? 

Kevin: It doesn’t matter, but I would prefer her; I guess I am ….. Trans-Universal (chuckle).

B: Kevin, who are you? If someone approached you, never having seen you before, heard your music, or listened to your lyrics, how would you explain Kevin Aviance to them in a word? 

Kevin: Your vanity! (laughing). I embody everything you thought of doing, wanted to do – yet were afraid to try.

B: What is Kevin Aviance’s mission?

Kevin: To live the dream

B: What’s the dream?

Kevin: For me, it’s to be who I am. That can be my music, my persona; it’s whatever I am at any moment. It’s to be true to who I am at all times.

B: Since the days of the House Of Aviance, your career and your life have changed. Does the HOA still influence your life?

Kevin: Sure, I embody the house of Aviance and will carry the spirit of HOA with me throughout my life.

B: What do you feel you still retain from the House of Aviance?

Kevin: The House of Aviance is a group of people of all shapes and colors—maybe it’s a kid who was called a loser and kicked out of his house by his parents because they didn’t understand. We do as we please. We strive for a new level. We don’t apologize for who we are.

B: So, it’s really more than anything: a mindset or a state of mind?

Kevin: Exactly!

B: In your newest press releases, you talk about Kevin as an artist evolving and maturing. Please explain to us in what way.

Kevin: (laughing) I’m 35 years old. I’m not the same club kid I was. I am singing more about what I embody, the person, what I feel and see, as opposed to the persona you see, the strut, the attitude. My last record, “Alive,” which hit #1, is being called an Anthem. It’s a pulsating, hypnotic dance classic. But after 9/11 that’s when I really understood the song. It changed my outlook on life. “Alive,” is about showing love to one another, it’s uplifting, and with everything going on around the world today, we need that. The new album is about life’s experiences – as citizens of the global society. I couldn’t avoid addressing the current state of the world, but I also wanted to stay positive and creative and offer my fans an escape from what is, for some, a brutal reality.

B: Do you worry about losing fans with the evolution of your music? Or do you think the old fans will follow as new fans join in?

Kevin: You can only hope your fans will go along and embrace what you are doing. And, of course, I am also reaching a whole new audience. With Vogue, it was always about the beat. My debut album, “Box Of Chocolates,” had songs like “Din Da Da, which went to #1. For a year, “ y” was a staple at the Tunnel. Kids were coming to the club just to hear the record. They’d sit and wait. As soon as it played, you’d see all the queens coming out of the darkness, doing runway. I hope those fans will stay with me, and I’m also looking at a whole new audience, crossing all the boundaries. The songs still have a beat but also have deeper lyrics to listen to:

 Do you have a favorite song on the new album?

Kevin: Yeah … all of them! (laughing) We started with so many and kept breaking it down, and we felt the final songs were all great, so I Loved them all.

B: What does your “image” of the presence of Kevin Aviance say?

Kevin: I want people to look at me and interpret what they will.

B: Do you ever feel the pressure of being Kevin Aviance?

Kevin: Some days are harder than others, but usually, no, I don’t feel any pressure because what they see is really who I am.

B: Can I ask about your love life?

Kevin: (Laughing) No

B: What should people know that they may not know just from seeing you or hearing your music?

Kevin: That I am a nice person.

B: You do have a very intimidating look. Do you think that potential suitors are afraid to approach you?

Kevin: (Laughing) Next

B: How about this? If you saw someone you were attracted to, would you approach them?

Kevin: Absolutely! You have to go after what you want!

B: Everyone is on different paths in life. Do you have any words for them in their quests?

Kevin: Be who you want to be, and educate yourself about it.

B: What about the negative people out there, with negative remarks? How do you deal with that?

Kevin: Keep walking, honey, keep walking. Don’t even digest it.

B: Kevin, it was a pleasure talking with you, and I look forward to hearing your new record. Do you have any closing statements?

Kevin: “Stay cunty forever!”

B: Those who don’t understand what that means will have to buy the record. You are indeed an authentic promoter. Thanks again for the interview.

Kevin: My pleasure.

(PUBLISHED in TG Community News, and re-printed in Girl Talk Magazine 2004)

About Brie Austin

Co-author of I'd Do It Again, he is a columnist/reporter for a variety of magazines in the areas of music, lifestyle, nightlife, travel and business. He also writes business documents and creates copy for websites.