Diva impersonator Jimmy James brings his many voices to Helen’s in Chelsea.
By Brandon Voss
While — gasp! — folding clothes at The Gap in his hometown of San Antonio, baby-faced Jimmy James entered and won a 1981 Halloween costume contest dressed as Marilyn Monroe. This fateful appearance eventually led to a successful career as a professional Marilyn impersonator.
“I saw her as a ticket out,” says James, who milked Marilyn until he was able to showcase his other uncanny vocal impersonations in internationally renowned theatrical evenings such as The One and Many Voices of Jimmy James. A fixture on the Provincetown performance scene since 1986, James now brings his legendary multimedia show Divas Are Forever to cabaret house Helen’s Hideaway Room in Chelsea throughout June. With musical direction by Ricky Ritzel, James will wow audiences with flawless impersonations of iconic female performers including Eartha Kitt, Janis Joplin, Liza Minnelli, Katharine Hepburn, Diana Ross, and newer divettes like Macy Gray and Norah Jones. He’ll also perform this summer at the Ice Palace in Fire Island’s Cherry Grove, and he’s back in the studio recording a dance single titled “Summer Sun.”
James and I recently met at Helen’s to chat about his life beneath the heavy crown as the reigning Queen of Divadom.
HX: Will you give audiences a taste of your Marilyn Monroe impersonation in Divas Are Forever?
Jimmy James: I do a video tribute to my Marilyn years, which will show me as Marilyn appearing on Donahue, Sally Jesse, Joan Rivers, Geraldo — even my appearance in the Erasure video “Rock Me Gently” — as I sing “Stay Gold” by Stevie Wonder. It’s beautiful and poignant. It’s about how sweet youth is, but how change is inevitable.
We won’t see you in Marilyn garb again?
No, she’s gone. When I made it onto the Kenar [women’s clothing] billboard in Times Square [portraying] Marilyn, Judy, and Bette with Linda Evangelista in 1996, I was like, that’s it. I don’t want to go to Las Vegas and be a grandma Marilyn Monroe.
Do your impersonations always come from a place of love, or is there ever any mocking in it?
No, I’m not really good at mocking; I’ve always felt uncomfortable doing that. I only impersonate people I’m a big fan of — that way it’s fun and joyful.
Local audiences might know you from your series of weekly appearances at XES. What was that experience like?
That was just a workshop. I have 200 songs to keep track of, so I need to keep practicing. But I left XES due to the fact that people were drunk and not really listening. It’s sad, because the owners are really nice — I love them.
Are you looking forward to Helen’s?
The room is gorgeous. Though I’m a winner of the MAC Award [Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs], I was never really a fan of cabarets. But when they told me they were going to put in a video screen, I got excited. The largest grossing show of my career — the one I sell out in Provincetown — is Divas Are Forever, and unfortunately I was able to do it everywhere else but New York.
Your photograph and name often appear in our Homo Dish and Seen pages. You’re quite the scenester.
I always feel like an out-ster, really. I never do shows in New York for real. I would always be like, “God, I wish people could see what I do, because then they’d be blown away.” My show — at the risk of sounding like Madonna — is a journey, dad! Divas Are Forever is about the passing of batons from the older divas to the up- and-coming divas — from Bette Davis to Britney Spears and everything in between.
Describe your creative process in perfecting an impersonation.
It’s about finding the pocket that’s the most recognizable to the audience’s ear. Do you do Madonna as she sounds live — four octaves lower than how she is in the recording? It has nothing to do with drag, makeup, or wigs; it’s ultimately about capturing their essence.
How would you describe your personal style?
Painted-up dyke. [Laughs] I used to do drag at Bar d’O, but I always felt uncomfortable.
Okay, let’s discuss divas. What qualifies a diva?
A lot of gays love you. And if I love you, you’re a diva.
Are you a diva?
I’m more of a chameleon.
What do you think about up-and-coming divas like Hilary Duff and Ashlee Simpson?
They need to be peppered with more disappointments. Then they have to overcome.
If you were on VH1 Divas Live, whom would you duet with and what would you sing?
I would sing with Cher as the ultimate Cher and me dressed up as Elvis with the gold lamé suit and pompadour wig. The two of us would do a Cher medley or “The Beat Goes On.” On second thought: She could be Sonny. I’ll be Cher.
HX, June 2005.