The Kinsey Sicks are a drag a cappella ensemble who bill themselves as “America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet.” The collection is arranged into six series: Administrative Records; Production Materials; Press and Publicity; Photographs; Audiovisual and Optical Media; and Textiles, Memorabilia, and Ephemera.

The Kinsey Sicks are a drag a cappella ensemble who bill themselves as “America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet.” The group was formed in 1993 when five friends went to a Bette Midler concert dressed in drag as the Andrews Sisters. The original group consisted of Ben Schatz as “Rachel”, Irwin Keller as “Winnie”, Maurice Kelly as “Trixie”, Jerry Friedman as “Vaselina”, and Abatto Avilez as “Begoña.” In 1995, Avilez died and The Kinsey Sicks went from being a quintet to a quartet and has remained as such ever since. The original members were largely lawyers and professional activists who performed with the group on the side, however they eventually became successful enough to leave their former professions and focus on The Kinsey Sicks full time. The Kinsey Sicks perform both original compositions and parodies of pop music, focusing on topics of queer life, Jewish identity, pop culture, and political satire. They have released ten studio albums, two feature films, thirty five music videos, and have produced numerous performances worldwide. The Kinsey Sicks lineup has undergone several iterations since its inception. Ben Schatz has been the group’s longest standing member. The current lineup in 2021 includes Ben Schatz as “Rachel” (1993–present), Jeff Manabat as “Trixie” (2004-present), Spencer Brown as “Trampolina” (2008-present), Nathan Marken as “Winnie” (2014-present), and J.B. McLendon as “Angel” (2019-present). Former members include Irwin Keller as “Winnie” (1993-2014), Abatto Avilez as “Begoña” (1993), Jerry Friedman as “Vaselina” (1993-1999), Maruice Kelly as “Trixie” (1993-2001), Chris Dilley as “Trampolina” (1999-2007/2008), Kevin Kirkwood as “Trixie” (2001-2003), Tom Gualtieri as “Trixie” (2002), and Charles Romaine as “Trampolina” (2007-2008).

12.25 linear feet (5 cartons, 1 manuscript box, 2 half manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, 3 flat file drawers)

Collection is open for research. Funding for processing this collection was provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).