Joey Arias

Not to be confused with Jodi Arias

Joey Arias is a New York-based performance artist, cabaret singer, and drag artist.

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he was six when he moved with his family to Los Angeles. After singing with the rock band "Purlie" on Capitol Records and a stint with improvisational group the Groundlings, in 1976 he and his best friend Kim Hastreiter - who would go on to co-found Paper - drove across country in a pickup truck and moved to New York City. Arias eventually got a job at the Fiorucci designer clothing store. He and other store staff famously performed (danced & modeled clothes) in the shop windows. While working at the store he became friends with alternative musician Klaus Nomi, singing backup and designing sets and costumes. On December 15, 1979, Nomi and Arias appeared on Saturday Night Live accompanying David Bowie for a live performance of three songs: "The Man Who Sold the World", "TVC 15" and "Boys Keep Swinging". While in New York he also performed with Ann Magnuson in a band called Strange Party which recorded and performed in various night clubs. Upon Nomi's death, Arias became executor to the Klaus Nomi (Sperber) estate. A tribute to his friend is held in Berlin every year, and the documentary film The Nomi Song was released in 2004. A film on the life Arias shared with Nomi is currently in development with Alan Cumming slated to play Nomi.

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