Joey Arias

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Joey Arias moved to Los Angeles at age six. His early career included singing with the rock band Purlie, which released a single on Capitol Records in 1973. Following this, he joined the improvisational comedy group the Groundlings. In 1976, Arias relocated to New York City, where he worked at the Fiorucci designer clothing store. During his time at Fiorucci, he performed by dancing and modeling clothes in the shop windows alongside colleagues such as Vincent Gallo.

In New York, Arias developed a friendship with alternative musician Klaus Nomi, for whom he contributed backup vocals and helped design sets and costumes. A notable collaboration occurred on December 15, 1979, when Arias and Nomi performed on “Saturday Night Live” with David Bowie, providing accompaniment for three songs including “The Man Who Sold the World.” Arias also performed with Ann Magnuson in the band Strange Party, which recorded and performed in various night clubs. He became involved in the 1980s New York performance art scene, regularly appearing at venues like Club 57. During this period, he also began a cabaret career, developing a style influenced by Billie Holiday.

The 1990s saw Arias performing in weekly shows at Bar d’O in Greenwich Village, which became a significant platform for his work. In 2003, Arias moved to Las Vegas to star in Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino, where he also co-wrote two songs for the show. After six years, he returned to New York and starred in “Arias with a Twist,” a collaboration with puppeteer Basil Twist. This show toured internationally and was adapted into a docufantasy film. Arias continues to perform at venues such as Joe’s Pub and Feinstein’s/54 Below, and his archives, including material related to Klaus Nomi, were acquired by Harvard’s Houghton Library in 2019. In November 2023, he released his album, “Past Present Future.”