A Little Bit of Tammie: Catching Up With Tammie Brown

Arts

Oct 29

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Season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race was revolutionary for so many reasons. The show introduced drag culture to the world by bringing us glam, lip-synch battles, fierce runway walks, and queens that would become fan favorites for years to come. One of the most unique queens from season one was Tammie Brown aka Keith Glen Schubert. Although Tammie was eliminated episode 2, she made a big impression on the Drag Race audience, especially after she went head to head with Mama Ru and the panel (no tea, no shade about that). Tammie graced us with one of the most memorable lines from the Drag Race when she snapped, “I don’t see you walking in nature with children!”

It’s no surprise that Tammie is a fan favorite with her quirky personality, her social and environmental activism (#queenwithacause), her charming performances, and that unmistakable “Tammie lip.” When discussing her prep in getting that perfect pout with WUSSY, she said, “I always wipe my lip off then I proceed with a lip pencil to outline my lip to the structure of what I wanted to be. Then fill it in with a lipstick color I prefer—sometimes coral, preferably Russian Red from MAC Cosmetics or Girl About Town. Purples are always a winner. Then I proceed with my lip brush and smooth the lip pencil and lipstick together to create a perfect pouty Tammie Brown lovable lip kisses, literally.”

When you see Tammie on screen on or the stage, it’s apparent that she, like her idol Tina Turner, was born to perform. In the interview, Tammie reflected on her first time performing, “One of the first audiences I can remember performing for was in middle school in Mexico, where I entertained the class with my sister. It was such a joyous performance between the two of us, the whole class was laughing and enjoying themselves.”

Tammie has recently released an EP titled A Little Bit of Tammie. The first tune, “Lip-Sync Suicide” was written for her by her creative partner Rodrigo Beroso, who also wrote songs for her like “Clam Happy,” “Love Piñata,” and “I Stay Connected.” The inspiration behind “Lip-Sync Suicide? Tammie’s refusal to lip-synch to Michelle Williams' “Break The Dawn” on Drag Race.

Other songs include “Porta Potty Prostitute,” “I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Do,” and the oh so Tammie Brown environmentalist tune “The Whale Song,” which is about narwhals. The tune was written to, “spread awareness about the plight of sea mammals, such as the whales in captivity at SeaWorld, The Dolphin Project and the contamination of the ocean.” When asked about her dream collaboration she mused, “I would love to work with Tina Turner in film I have scripted. I would love to sing a duet with Amanda Lear. I also have ideas of filming some of my film shorts with April Carrion and Charles Busch.”

If you head over to her website you can immerse yourself in all things Tammie and as a bonus, she has also set up a Patreon page where fans, “can expect ringtones, exclusive access to art and media, and more of my creativity videos, short films, music. A kaleidoscope of tantalizing visual ecstasy that only I can provide.”

Tammie Brown is currently on tour with a couple of select dates opening up for fellow Drag Race alum Trixie Mattel. Check out her new EP A Little Bit of Tammie on iTunes and on tour in city near you.

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Deana Morton is a freelance writer based in Colorado and has written for Dazed Digital, Huck Magazine, and Today's Parent. She is currently working on her first YA novel.

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