Adore Delano

Danny Noriega, better known as the drag queen Adore Delano, is one of a kind. Having first appeared on the seventh season of American Idol, Delano was thrust into the public spotlight, but it was the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race that really put the spotlight on this Californian's sunny personality. It's on Drag Race where he clawed his way to the season finale, making the top three only to lose to Bianca Del Rio.

Then with the release of Til Death Do Us Party Delano, the talented entertainer became the highest selling artist out of RuPaul's Drag Race contestants. The release debuted at #3 on the Dance/Electronic Album Chart.

Jerry Nunn recently caught up with Adore Delano backstage at Roscoes, where he learned more about this uniquely talented jokester.

JN: (Jerry Nunn) Hello, Adore. Tell our readers about your background to start off.

AD: (Adore Delano) I grew up in Azusa, California. My family is from a hispanic background, gangs, or Cholos. My family was super accepting of me.

JN: Your mom is very supportive as we saw on RuPaul's Drag Race.

AD: She is, almost anti-religious. My mom grew up as a Jehovah's Witness so she wanted us to figure out what we wanted to do. She taught up about spirituality and God then wanted us to go on and do whatever.

We all had our own personalities and we are all so different. It was an interesting way to raise kids especially in the '80s and '90s.

JN: How is your Spanish?

AD: I don't speak Spanish at all. I know the cuss words and food, that is pretty much it.

JN: I saw you were tweeting about looking for pizza in Chicago.

AD: I have been here six times and the pizza is one of my favorite things.

JN: Are you a vegetarian?

AD: No, but The Chicago Diner is my favorite vegetarian restaurant in Chicago.

JN: I heard Rosie O'Donnell asked you to be on her cruise.

AD: [laughs] Yes, when I was 18.

JN: Have you watched her on The View yet?

AD: She's on it? I have been in Europe and haven't been home in abut three weeks. Is she on there with Whoopi Goldberg?

JN: Yes, and Rosie Perez and a conservative woman named Nicolle Wallace.

AD: I love Rosie Perez. I don't like having two headstrong people like Whoopi and O'Donnell on at the same time. There needs to be only one leader bitch. I don't know how that dynamic will work. I want Rosie to fight.

JN: She's on a three right now so we will see when she hits a ten as far as politics.

AD: She needs to go to a ten!

JN: Where did you meet you bassist from the set at?

AD: Sherman I met through my manager. He was showing me the person who does bass for Sharon Needles. He's fucking amazing. You can show him a song and he will learn it in three seconds. He has good energy to be around.

I like to surround myself with people that are not drug addicts and are fun.

JN: Are you doing acoustic sets to other venues?

AD: No, this is a one time thing. Usually we have a full band.

JN: Talk about your boyfriend Kristian Francuski a bit.

AD: He is Serbian but born and raised in Sydney, Australia. He left at 12 in Perth, Australia.

JN: Can you get married to make him legal here?

AD: We can but what is fucked up is it's not legal in California to do that.

JN: Do you see Courtney Act when you go there?

AD: Well, she lives in West Hollywood so she is 30 minutes from my house.

JN: I Skyped her when she was in Australia one time for an interview so I was thinking she was in Australia a lot.

AD: She is hilarious and one of my best friends in the world.

JN: I was in Toronto for World Pride and you were all mobbed even dressed as boys.

AD: It was nuts.

JN: I heard people couldn't even see you on the boat cruise that evening.

AD: Yes, that was interesting. I don't think I will be doing the boat cruise again. They were not feeling me.

JN: Were those the biggest fans?

AD: No, the biggest fans for me personally have been Australia. They camp out at the hotels. They are crazy.

JN: I'm talking to RuPaul tomorrow so what would you say to him?

AD: Tell him I love him and thank him for everything he's done and for the the advice.

JN: Do you like all the traveling you do?

AD: I need to get caught up on some sleep! I liked it at first so for the first four months. I am a momma's boy and like familiarity. I like a schedule, getting up in the morning, paying my bills, seeing my mother, my dog, and being able to do whatever the fuck I want to do. I can't because I am never home. I never see the lady at the bank. I miss everybody at home.

JN: You are homesick...

AD: I'm not homesick, I am bored of planes.

JN: What is your dog's name?

AD: Ozzy, after Ozzy Osbourne.

JN: Will you be on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars?

AD: I don't know if that's happening yet. It is too soon.

JN: You have been a huge success with your music. Did you know it would do so well?

AD: No. The key is putting money and time into your craft, investing in it. That will get you longevity. It will put you in a place no one else is in. You have to think about the art and not the money. Right after Drag Race those girls look at the booking fee and worry about saving up their money. I am worried about the longevity of my career. I try to build something rather than put out a Rice Krispies Treat single.

JN: Do you come up with the treatments for the videos like "DTF?"

AD: I came up with some of it for "DTF." That director was very anal about everything. It was all his way. He's very good about what he does but very controlling. Him and I are not good with working with each other. I was about to run his ass over. He's a fucking brat. When I am on tour I am all about doing what we can do. If there is an alley for a day then let's film it.

JN: Who are the people in the video such as the guy on the washing machine and the pregnant girl?

AD: The guy on the washing machine is named Max. He's an Abercrombie & Fitch model. The pregnant girl was so sweet. Her other daughter was on set and she said, "Why does that lady sound like a man?" It was so cute. There was a makeup artist that found her.

JN: I wonder what happened to her baby?

AD: I think it was born with a teardrop tattoo on its eye...I'm kidding!

JN: The video for "I Adore U" runs backwards.

AD: The people that did that are Greek Mythology Productions, Katelyn and Ben Simkins. They are so talented and fun to be around. They make you feel like family. I have done that song with them and "Hello I Love You" and "I Look Fuckin' Cool" with Alaska and them. I just keep going back to them because it is a family environment. They make you feel welcome and open to suggestions. It is a team. I love that. I hate people that try to make me do it a certain way. I wrote the song so fuck off! Can I say fuck off?

JN: You can say whatever you want.

AD: I want to tell them suck my dick but I am a little scared to say that.

JN: Do you get sick of your tagline "partyyy."

AD: No, I think it's cute. [laughs] Another drag queen used to say that a lot when I first started. She was upset when I used it on TV, but I did mention who it was on TV but they didn't air it. All of her drag children said it, so if any of them had gone on they would have said it too for a tagline. Like the saying goes, "Step your pussy up, bitch!"

JN: So you tried to give credit?

AD: I did twice actually in the confessionals, but now it is my tagline. I thought my tagline was going to be "fuck" I said it so much!

JN: Where did your drag name come from?

AD: Adore was my brother's friend's name. She was like a gangster that would tag walls. I wanted her name. I was ready to fight her for it! Delano means so many things like "of the ass" or "anus."

JN: I stayed at the Delano Hotel last week.

AD: Everyone has been sending me pictures of it on Instagram.

JN: It is pronounced differently with the accent on the first part.

AD: Tell people it's my last name and to go suck a dick!

JN: It is a nice hotel.

AD: Is it? I have nice sugar walls so I am not surprised.

JN: What are you doing next?

AD: I hope I get pregnant.

JN: You just want to settle down?

AD: I just want to chill, dude. I am booked until April and my calendar is not even updated from then. I have band shows and gigs. I am tired. They say, "You can sleep when you are dead" but I need a break for a little while.

JN: It must have been a whirlwind since the season ended.

AD: I am hoping the next season will have some amazing girls so things can slow down. The other contestants are worried that they will get less bookings but I have enough money to chill. I will work locally and be cool.

JN: That's good to hear because I thought it would be the other way around.

AD: Well, a lot of them are freaking out because they are poor [laughs]! Me and Bianca were just talking about this. My thing is I have a game plan.

Some drag queens need to step their game up and stop being assholes. You have to be cool with the people you got hired from. So be friends with these people. My mom says, "The way you act reflects on the way I raised you." That is something I always took with me.

You have to have respect for people and when you don't that is when you lose work. That is nobody's fault but your own.

JN: You did step it up during RuPaul's Drag Race and tapped into a younger audience.

AD: Thank you. There are a bunch of little girls that want to drag now! It was funny because the final three were from different universes. We had Courtney who was sexy and Bianca who is brilliant comedian and me who is a trashy ass brat.

JN: In closing from your lyrics "Wednesday panties on a Friday night" what underwear are you wearing tonight?

AD: None, but as a boy I am wearing '80s tighty whities.

JN: Do you write all of your lyrics?

AD: Yes, I co wrote the whole album. I wrote some songs more than others. "Adore U" was the one I wrote the most. I came up with the melody and the lyrics mostly. I came up with the rap and everything.

JN: Was "DTF" inspired by a hook up?

AD: I guess it is. It is a sex song. I was thinking about the people who are on Grindr and don't look like their profile picture but if you are drunk then let's fuck anyway.

JN: No more Grindr for you since you are taken.

AD: Yep, I don't Grind or anything. I have Jack'd but I talk to my fans on there!