Draft:Riley Knoxx

Riley Knoxx
Born (1981-04-24) April 24, 1981 (age 43)[1]
Los Angeles, CA[2]: 2:21 
Other namesEpiphany B. Lee
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation(s)Beyoncé impersonator, fashion designer, trans activist
Notable workThe Illusion of Queen Bey; You Need to Calm Down
Awards2019 MTV Video of the Year, You Need to Calm Down
Websitehttps://rileyknoxxcouture.net/

Riley Knoxx, formerly known as Epiphany B. Lee,[3] (born April 24, 1981)[1][4][5] is an African-American dancer and R&B singer, and is known as the world's top Beyoncé impersonator.[6][7][8][9][10] She appeared alongside many well-known LGBTQ celebrities, such as Todrick Hall, RuPaul and Ellen DeGeneres, in Taylor Swift's You Need to Calm Down. The video won 2019's MTV Video of the Year as well as Video for Good.[11] Knoxx stood directly to Swift's left on stage for the acceptance of the award.[12]

Knoxx hosts her own show titled The Illusion of Queen Bey,[13] and has performed at Capital Pride, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and at 40/40 Club.[5][14]

In 2020, she became the first openly transgender woman to perform during a National Basketball Association halftime show.[15][16] She also started her own fashion line in 2021,[9][17] and has designed clothing that has been seen on television, including dresses worn by Ts Madison at both the VMAs and the Emmys.[18]

  1. ^ a b Knoxx, Riley [@rileyknoxx] (April 24, 2022). "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... #chapter41 #rileyknoxx #rileyknoxxcouture #birthday". Retrieved April 2, 2024 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1on1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ MacIntyre, Alec (May 16, 2017). Singing is Drag: Gender, Voice, and Body in Drag Performance (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of Pittsburgh. pp. 89, 203. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Ermac, Raffy (March 6, 2020). "Riley Knoxx to Make NBA History as First Trans Halftime Performer". Out. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Nett, Danielle (November 19, 2017). "Becoming Beyoncé On Stage Helped One Trans Woman Come Into Her Own". NPR. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Smith, Reiss (March 13, 2020). "This Beyoncé impersonator makes herstory as the first trans woman to perform at an NBA half time show". PinkNews. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Dunn, Derrick (November 29, 2022). "Riley Knoxx continues to live life on top". Reviews And Dunn. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "Riley Knoxx, première femme trans à faire le show lors de la mi-temps d'un match de la NBA" [Riley Knoxx, first trans woman to do the show at halftime in an NBA game]. Komitid (in French). March 17, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "World's #1 Beyoncé impersonator Riley Knoxx shares her success". WUSA. November 9, 2022. 3:34. Retrieved February 4, 2024 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Williams, Alexis P.; Kelati, Haben (February 1, 2024). "D.C.'s most significant Black landmarks, according to its Black leaders". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Murphy, Rhodes (August 27, 2019). "Taylor Swift Won Big and Pushed the Equality Act at the 2019 VMAs". Slate. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  12. ^ "Taylor Swift Wins Video of the Year | 2019 Music Video Awards". MTV. August 26, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "Radar: Calendar - 11.30". District Fray Magazine. October 31, 2022. p. 23. Retrieved February 7, 2024 – via Issuu.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference gma was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Washington Wizards | NBA.com". NBA. March 6, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  16. ^ Assuncao, Muri (March 6, 2020). "NBA halftime show will feature its first performance by openly trans woman". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  17. ^ "Riley Knox: An Illusion of Queen Bey". Prince George's Suite. November 30, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Carter, Jr., Terry (February 1, 2024). "Ts Madison Got Emotional Reflecting On Beyoncé Sampling Her Voice On The "Renaissance" Album". BuzzFeed. Retrieved February 6, 2024.