Today we’d like to introduce you to Buck Wylde.
Hi Buck, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I played roller derby for Assassination City for several years. My derby name was “Trigger Mortis” (which I still go by out of drag). When one of the skaters–a very good friend of mine–was about to get married, I got asked by our announcer to make a surprise appearance as guest singer in his band, who was the wedding band. He asked me to perform a song in drag. I agreed. So, I appeared earlier in the night as a bridesmaid, gave a speech, then later appeared dressed as Morris Day and sang “Jungle Love.”
It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had, so when our derby league later had the opportunity to do a fundraiser as guest drag kings with Mustache Envy, the longest currently running drag king centric troupe in Texas, I jumped at the opportunity. I did a rockabilly duet with Randy Bottoms, so I gave myself I giant pompadour and some chops, and Buck Wylde was born!
The next week, I was contacted by a producer, Lillith Grey, who was starting a weekly drag/burlesque/variety show at Sue Ellen’s and asked us to perform the number again at that show, so we did! I continued to perform and have been doing the dang thing ever since! Almost 12 years later, Buck Wylde is still such a big part of who I am. I think he always will be.
And I ended up marrying that derby announcer who asked me to perform in drag for the first time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. Drag is fun, but it is hard, gets expensive and time-consuming. It WILL take over your life. I have to maintain the delicate balance between my life and Buck’s life…they are two very different lives. It’s sort of like a marriage in its own way. It’s about compromises and making sure that the needs of each half is met. And I have a full-time job to maintain in “real” life. And I’m married in my personal life, so there are the needs of that person, too, that need to be met!
Also, exhaustion is real. I realize now that you have to take breaks and vacations for sanity sake. Otherwise, you run the risk of burnout. That’s really a big piece of advice I would give to new performers…take opportunities, but not to the point of exhaustion. You don’t want to burn yourself out! We want to see your art for the long haul!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I would love to help continue to bring more awareness to all different types of king-centric drag to Dallas and beyond. The DFW area has such a strong roster of king centric performers and it’s amazing how many people still say “I didn’t even know that was a thing” when I mention drag kings. We are making progress every day, but our mainstream presence is very limited in comparison to other types of drag performance. When it comes to these anti-drag bills that are being pushed, ALL drag performers will be affected. Kings have a lot to lose, too, and yet many people aren’t even aware of our struggle or that we even exist. We’re trying to change that, so here I am to tell you; book and support your local drag kings, folks!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
– I was the first person to be crowned Mr. CEBA All-American King (2014!)
-Winner of the Artie Brooks Award for Comedic Excellence in Burlesque
– Member of the inaugural “Drag Army” at the very first Austin International Drag Festival in 2015
– Listed as one of the “14 Drag Kings You Should Definitely Know About” in an article by Pride.com
– Member of Dallas’ Mustache Envy – with shows at Sue Ellen’s every 3rd Friday night (upstairs)
-El Vez, the Mexican Elvis, said I might be his child, but he refuses to go on Maury Povich for the paternity test!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: BuckWylde_dragking
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/kingbuckwylde
- Other: TikTok: KingBuckWylde
Image Credits
Michael Perry Williams
Danny Fulgencio
Carmel Sutra
Taylor Anne
Ramsey Vampire
Melissa Harris
