1980-01-16 · Mesquite, Texas, U.S. · Male
Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson (born January 16, 1980), best known by the stage name Alyssa Edwards, is an American drag performer, choreographer, and businessperson. Edwards was known for competing in drag pageantry (notably Miss Gay America 2010) before rising to international attention as a contestant on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, becoming a fan favorite during and after her time on the show. Edwards subsequently appeared on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and starred in her own web series, Alyssa's Secret. She won the first ever season of RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars, making her the first queen to be inducted into the "Newly Constructed International Pavilion At the Drag Race Hall of Fame".
Johnson lives in Mesquite, Texas, where he owns and operates a dance studio, Beyond Belief Dance Company. Johnson and his dance studio are the centerpieces of a docuseries, Dancing Queen, produced by RuPaul and World of Wonder that premiered on October 5, 2018, on Netflix.
Early life
Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson was born on January 16, 1980, to Jimmy Harold Johnson and Sherrie Ann Laye in Mesquite, Texas. He was one of seven children in the working-class family, and has described his mother as "the wind beneath (his) wings" and his father as "very, very masculine." Growing up, Justin's sisters were cheerleaders, and he often found himself wishing he could join in on their practices. Described as a shy and creative child with no interest in sports, he enjoyed watching The Wizard of Oz and dancing and singing tunes such as Rod Stewart’s "Forever Young" in his front yard, to the discouragement of his father. Justin was supported by his openly gay Uncle Bobby, who supplied him with a role as an extra in a local production of Brigadoon and financed his enrollment in an all-boys jazz dance class at the Joy Sharp School of Dance in Mesquite, and was only allowed to attend when his father was informed that the son of a local baseball coach attended the class as well. Johnson’s parents divorced around the time he was in high school, when he attended West Mesquite High School and volunteered as an instructor and choreographer for the local peewee drill team. After high school, he attended Ranger College before transferring to the University of North Texas, where he was briefly a part of the college cheer squad and came out as gay.
Early career
While attending University of North Texas, Johnson became involved in Dallas's drag community after friends took him to the Rose Room at Village Station in Oak Lawn, Dallas, where he saw his first drag show. He soon became a regular at the venue before entering an amateur drag competition, where he performed in drag for the first time. Drawing on the makeup skills his sisters had taught him, he slicked back his platinum blond hair "like Annie Lennox". When the emcee asked for a stage name, he chose "Alyssa" after actress Alyssa Milano, whose television work he had enjoyed as a child. His drag surname, "Edwards", was later given to him by his mentor and drag mother, Laken Edwards.
During this period, Edwards also founded the Haus of Edwards, a drag family that mentors and supports performers. He became drag mother to several future RuPaul's Drag Race contestants, including Shangela, Laganja Estranja, Gia Gunn, Vivienne Pinay, and Plastique Tiara.
Pageantry
Beginning in the mid-2000s, Edwards competed in drag pageantry across the United States. In 2005, he won Miss Gay Texas America and, over the following several years, competed in regional and national pageants, placing as a finalist or alternate in several editions of Miss Gay America while also winning titles including Miss Gay USofA, Miss Texas Continental, and All American Goddess.
In 2009, Edwards won Miss Gay America 2010. He also appeared in the documentary Pageant, which followed contestants preparing for the 34th Miss Gay America pageant in 2006.
Less than a year later, on December 9, 2010, the Miss Gay America organization stripped Edwards of the title, citing business dealings that conflicted with the organization's rules for titleholders. First alternate Coco Montrese replaced Edwards as the winner of Miss Gay America. Edwards was also stripped of his All American Goddess title later that year.
Ongoing career
Edwards appeared in the 2008 documentary Pageant. The film focused on the 34th Miss Gay America pageant of 2006.
In November 2012, Logo announced that Edwards was among 14 drag queens who would be competing on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Also performing on the show was pageant friend and rival Coco Montrese.
Edwards performed and won in the ballet-themed main challenge in the "Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black?" episode of Rupaul's Drag Race. As part of the show, Edwards sang on the "We Are the World"-inspired song "Can I Get an Amen?" The song's proceeds helped benefit the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Edwards was eliminated in episode nine, following a lip sync against Coco Montrese, and finished in sixth place. Edwards has also been a special guest on the podcast series run by RuPaul and Michelle Visage called RuPaul: What's The Tee?
She was one of thirty drag queens featured in Miley Cyrus's 2015 VMA performance.
Edwards is also known for her web series titled "Alyssa's Secret". The series stars Alyssa Edwards speaking on a multitude of subjects and often features guests including other members of the Haus of Edwards. The webseries is produced and premieres through World of Wonder Productions.
In 2016, Edwards returned as one of 10 contestants in Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, ending in fifth place. Edwards won the main challenge of the third episode titled "HERstory of the World", playing Annie Oakley in a performance featuring other famous women throughout history. She was then eliminated in episode four "Drag Movie Shequels", after playing Bland in "Wha' Ha' Happened to Baby JJ", a parody of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", with Alaska as Baby JJ.
Edwards returned in episode five "Revenge of the Queens" by winning a chance to reenter the competition, winning a comedy challenge with Alaska followed by a lip sync of Rihanna's "Shut Up and Drive", in which both Edwards and Tatianna won. Edwards was then controversially eliminated a second time by Detox in episode seven "A Family that Drags Together", coming in fifth place overall.
In 2018, Edwards hosted a three-day promotional retreat for Tazo, called "Camp TAZO".
In 2019, Edwards released a makeup palette in collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills. In Episode 2 of All Stars 5, Alyssa made a guest appearance as a "Lip Sync Assassin", where she lip-synced against Shea Couleé, but lost. Edwards was shortlisted for the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race but was cast as an alternate and instead was on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
Edwards appeared on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race as a choreographer for PharmaRusical and on the seventh episode of the eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race as a runway coach. In June 2019, a panel of judges from New York magazine placed her fifth on their list of "the most powerful drag queens in America", a ranking of 100 former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants.
In 2021, Edwards appeared on the 16th season of America's Got Talent, accompanying members of Beyond Belief as they auditioned for a spot in the competition. In June 2021, Edwards had a one-woman show on London's West End entitled Alyssa: Memoirs of a Queen. The autobiographical show ran for eight performances, featuring tales from her childhood to "reality TV apotheosis".
In 2024, Alyssa was crowned as the winner of the debut season of RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars, making her the first queen to be inducted into the "Newly Constructed International Pavilion At the Drag Race Hall of Fame".
In 2025, Alyssa appeared on Canada's Drag Race, Season 6, to help the contestants with the Reading Challenge and serve as…