Luscious and talented trans star, songwriter, songstress, recording artist, actress and entertainer Dina Delicious has just returned from one of the largest charity events in the world, the Life Ball. After speaking with her for five minutes I was completely entranced by her spirit. Although jetlagged and recovering from the prestigious Austrian festivities, including a lost voice, she agreed to speak about her experience at The Ball and several other topics, including her scheduled Pride whereabouts. She was warm, candid and funny, and I fell instantly in love.
I want to hear all about the Life Ball.
It was amazing. It’s a lot of work. I’m just recouping from it.
I saw your picture with Amanda Lepore.
It’s overwhelming the amount of people that are there. It’s one of the world’s largest charities. It takes place in the City Square. It’s like their palace. It’s beyond imaginable. We really had a great time. I got to hang out with Bianca Del Rio. I hadn’t seen her in a long time. It was great to see her and hang out with her. So it’s really an amazing time. It’s a great charity, and it’s great to be there for that. And also you have fun.
Mike and I are going next year.
Oh, that’s great. I’ll probably be there too. You will have a great time, but sleep all you can before, because you’re going to need plenty of sleep after. I’m still in recovery, three days after.
So who was there?
Mary J Blige. She was cool. Then Sean Penn; he’s quite famous. There was just too many. Paula Abdul; she was a lot of fun. We had a great time.
Tell me a little about Dina. Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
Yay! I am from Brooklyn.
I was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and I lived there for the majority of my life, up until the last few years.
When and what made you decide to be an entertainer?
I was always a performer as a child. I’ve always taken classes. I was a child actor. It’s just who I am. It was never a decision.
You sing with your own voice?
Yes, I do.
You are going to present at the Get Out! Awards on Monday, June 1, at the new Boots and Saddle.
It’s crunch time for me, because I have the Pride Rally and Pride Fest. I have a lot going on. I just want to know where the hell I’m going.
If you have an idea where you are going, I’ll put it in the interview.
Right to the top, baby.
Dina, have you ever done Fire Island?
I haven’t done Fire Island. I’ve spent a big part of the last year doing these reality shows, and they have taken me away from so many things. So this year should be very interesting. I think there is another show to be filmed, so I don’t know what’s going on. I like Fire Island, and I’m open to doing it. I love Fire Island actually.
Tell me about these reality shows.
I’ve done so many pilots. I’ve done ones with Laverne Cox. Let’s just hope something is picked up this year. It’s the year of the trans, they say, right?
Exactly. It’s so chic to be trans now.
Yeah, it’s kinda chic, right?
It’s as chic as being a queen now, or more so.
Who knows? Being a queen will always be chic to me.
So what do you like best about entertaining? What’s your favorite part?
It was this year in Vienna. I was performing “Tick Tick Trick,” and the audience knew the song. It was just so amazing when they were singing the song with me. That was just a whole different level of awareness for me, especially when it’s a song you wrote. It’s so empowering. I was on such a natural high from it. I guess that’s where I lost my voice.
So do you have any future projects that you are presently working on?
I’m definitely doing a brand new EP. I remixed an EP of all of my work, all of my music that I have been doing. I’m working with this producer in London. I’m taking all this pop music that I’ve been doing and remixing it into a whole dance package for the summer, so it should be really fun, and fun for me to perform.
Dina, if we could look inside your heart at this moment, what would we find?
I’m happy, having been a part of something that was so successful. It’s just so fulfilling. I really feel grateful, a word that I think I overuse. I’m so grateful, I’m so grateful, I’m grateful that my key opened the door.
Hey, grateful is a powerful word.
I feel so grateful for my second year being invited to the Life Ball. The love that I feel, I just want to carry it over to Pride and to what’s going on in the next few weeks. Right now I think in my heart I feel content.
You are a new addition to a crayon box. What color are you?
Roseberry gray.
Pretty.
It’s part of my color stories.
If you were a superhero, what powers would you desire?
Oh, I don’t want any power.
None? You don’t want to fly or morph into someone else?
Let me see. I kind of feel like I have all the powers I need, and flying just seems like so much work.
Is your glass half empty or half full?
Half full.
If you could choose 2 celebrities to be your parents, who would you pick?
I wouldn’t pick anybody but my parents.
That is so sweet.
I don’t want to rewrite the book.
Where are you going to be in 10 years?
On top of the world. On top of the charts.
Maybe—sure looks like you’re heading that way!
Dina Delicious appears weekly on The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick on SIRIUS/XM as their special guest correspondent to discuss Hot Topics. She will perform “TICK TICK TRICK” at the NYC Pride Rally (June 26th from 7-9:30 @ Hudson River Park at Pier26) and Pride Fest (Sunday, June 28th from 11am-6pm @ Hudson St. Btwn Abingdon Sq. & W. 14th St.)
Twitter: @dinadelicious
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