Sharon Needles

Sharon Needles is the stage name of Aaron Robert Coady, an American drag performer and recording artist born on November 28, 1981. She achieved international prominence after competing on the fourth season of the Logo reality series RuPaul's Drag Race. Known for her unconventional make-up, macabre fashion sense, and comedic style, Needles quickly became a fan favorite and was crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar" in April 2012.

Coady was born in Newton, Iowa, to Joan Coady and is of Irish descent. Encouraged by his parents, he began wearing high heels at age four. While growing up, Coady experienced severe anti-gay harassment, which led him to leave high school. He began using drugs at an early age and was later convicted of a DUI and assault on a police officer. Coady started performing in drag in 1997 and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2004, where he worked in nightclubs with the Haus of Haunt drag troupe under the name Sharon Needles.

Needles was selected for RuPaul's Drag Race season four in late 2011. Winning the first challenge, her distinct aesthetic gained immediate attention from judges, media commentators, and public figures such as Lady Gaga. The season concluded in April 2012, with Needles officially announced as the winner during the broadcast of the finale.

Following her Drag Race win, Needles declined a spot on RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars. In late 2012, she began hosting horror films on Logo's series Fearce! and appeared in a national vegetarianism campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. On June 12, 2012, the Pittsburgh City Council declared "Sharon Needles Day," and she was later named Pittsburgh's best drag performer of 2015 by the Pittsburgh City Paper.

In January 2013, Needles released her debut album, PG-13, which entered the Billboard 200 and reached the top ten on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. She released four additional Dance/Electronic top-ten albums: Taxidermy in 2015, Battle Axe in 2017, Spoopy in 2019, and Absolute Zero in 2022. She also featured on Willam Belli's single "RuPaulogize" and contributed to the compilation album Christmas Queens 3.

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Needles faced criticism over allegations of racially insensitive behavior, including the use of racial slurs, blackface, and controversial symbols. In 2021, a report detailed allegations of physical abuse and misconduct involving a minor fan, which Needles denied through legal counsel. A former show producer stated that Needles was banned from future franchise appearances.

Needles resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She previously spent four years in a relationship with drag artist Justin Honard, known as Alaska Thunderfuck, until 2013, and was later engaged to special FX artist Chad O'Connell until 2020.