This issue of Dallas Voice is our “BIG September Issue,” and who better to grace the cover of our BIG Issue than one of the biggest names in drag, Alyssa Edwards, aka Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, star of stage and screen.

Alyssa Edwards already had nine drag pageant titles to her name and had been featured in the 2008 documentary Pageant by the time she appeared as a contestant on Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013, then returned in Drag Race All Stars 2 in 2015. Since then, she has become an international drag star, performing in the Werq The World tour with other Drag Race alums as well as solo gigs in Europe and beyond. Alyssa/Justin has also starred in a Netflix docu-series called Dancing Queen that focused on Alyssa’s drag career as well as Justin’s personal life and his role and owner, mentor and artistic director of Beyond Belief Dance, his award-winning dance studio in his hometown of Mesquite. And Alyssa is now the spokesqueen for an exlusive eyeshadow palette with Anastasia of Beverly Hills and led Camp Tazo for Tazo Tea.
Alyssa/Justin took a few minutes recently to answer a few questions for Dallas Voice about their busy life and what’s up next for this drag superstar.

— Tammye Nash

Dallas Voice: You’ve always kept busy, it seems. But these days it seems like you must not have a minute to spare, between your dance studio, drag and all your other projects, like your Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette and the Tazo Tea Camp Tazo and everything else. How much time do you have to spend on the road these days? Do you get to have any time at home to just unwind and relax? Justin Johnson, aka Alyssa Edwards: After appearing on the tube, my life truly has been a whirlwind of an adventure. This year, I promised myself to maintain a healthy balance of touring, teaching and taking time to unwind.
The goal is to work smart and efficient, and I seem to be working while I sleep! But when you enjoy what you do, it doesn’t seem like work. I’m loving being a homeowner and spending quality time with myself and my tribe.

There have been 11 seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and four of Drag Race All Stars, and of all the entertainers that have been on all 15 seasons combined, you have been, if not THE most successful, at least one of the most successful, post-Drag Race. What is the secret to your success? What makes you stand out? My ability to remember what my granny always told me and what Dr. Seuss noted: Why fit in when you were born to standout!

Passion, Purpose and Perseverance.

Haus of Edwards has made a pretty good showing on Drag Race beyond just you. Shangela is another breakout star, and Plastique Tiara certainly made an impression in Season 11. Who are some other members of H.O.E., and are you all still close? I mean, all of you are very busy with your own careers now, so how important is H.O.E. in your lives? There are many people that make up The Haus Of Edwards family tree. Even if we don’t get to see or speak to one another as much as we’d like, when we do we pick right up where we left off. I am very proud to have our first H.O.E. representation on the premiere season of Drag Race UK, Cheryl Hole.

Your show Dancing Queen was a big hit, and last month you announced there will be a second season. What can we expect to see this time around? I’m very proud of Dancing Queen as it’s a true personal labor of love that cannot be just rushed and thrown on the screen. The importance of every moment needs to include the reality of life. I’m confident it’ll be ready when the timing is just right. Stay tuned folks; it’s getting good!

A lot of people look up to you, for a lot of different reasons. Who do you look up to? I’m proud of the man I’ve blossomed into. Especially during the cloudy days, I still remained present with a smile. I’m a fighter and lover of life.

And last but not least, what’s next for Justin and what’s next for Alyssa? What have you not done yet that you want to do? Tell us what to expect from Alyssa in 2020. My book of life is already written, it’s just now being read aloud. And I’m conquering every dream, one day at a time; 2020 is gonna be an AMAZING year.