Website: myspace.com/thelmahouston

Thelma Houston

Benefit Concert Headliner

This legendary singer has performed for over 43 years, recorded 22 albums, and won a Grammy®. Thelma Houston sings the song that truly defined the disco era. That award winning #1 Pop/Dance song is called "Don't Leave Me This Way." She also sings several other classic songs, like her hit "Saturday Night Sunday Morning ," and an amazing tribute to Motown, which are part of her "very up beat" show.

Thelma's busier than ever, with the recent release of her 22nd album called "A Woman's Touch." She recently performed on two of the #1 TV shows in the country "American Idol" and "America's Got Talent."

Legends aren't created they're born and Thelma fits that description perfectly! Thelma lives in Los Angeles. She one of the two headliners for our PrideFest Benefit Concert.

Website: crystalbowersox.com

Crystal Bowersox

Benefit Concert Headliner

Crystal Bowersox's emotive folk-rock-country style was catapulted from the cramped coffeehouses and cavernous subway tunnels of Chicago to millions of homes across America when she placed second on last year's season of American Idol. Along with her old soul of a voice, her care-free style and "don't mess with me" attitude set her apart from the other contestants and eventually landed the self-taught songstress performances with the likes of the legendary Joe Cocker, Harry Connick Jr., and Alanis Morrissette. Her first studio Album, Farmer's Daughter, tells the artist's story and shows off her talent. On American Idol, we came to see her as the "stay true, no apologies" singer-songwriter, which makes her perfect for our first PrideFest Benefit Concert.

Website: myspace.com/thebackspin

Spinderella

DJ Stage Headliner

More than two decades after her groundbreaking entrance into the world of hip-hop, Dee Dee "Spinderella" Roper remains one of the most sought after DJ's in the world. As a member of the iconic rap group Salt-n-Pepa, the Brooklyn born DJ set a standard for turntabalists all over the globe. Five albums and fourteen million albums later she still stands as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. It has never been simply about cuts, beats, and rhymes says the Grammy and MTV Award winner. Her true passion for music and entertaining the masses has driven her to success. "I've really been blessed to be in this game for so many years when so many others have come and gone," she said. "This industry is all about fun and entertainment but humility, and professionalism will take you far. I have also had some great mentors over the years like Jazzy Jeff, DJ Scratch, and the late Jam Master Jay who my career was blueprinted after." Recently she joined forces with her long time partners Salt-n-Pepa for a tour that has taken them across the country and abroad.

As one of the most recognizable faces in hip-hop, she has recently become the face of McDonald's national "Flavor Battle" ad campaign. This on the heels of appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, VH-1 's Hip Hop Honors, Comedy Centrals' celebrity roast for Flavor Flav where she served as musical director, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Photo by: Christopher Turner

Website: armisteadmaupin.com

Armistead Maupin

Keynote Speaker/Best Selling Author

Though Armistead Maupin was one of the first of a new breed of openly gay authors, his appeal has always resided in his inclusiveness as a storyteller. For over thirty years his beloved characters from 28 Barbary Lane in the Tales of the City series have cut an unprecedented path through popular culture—from a groundbreaking newspaper serial to six internationally bestselling novels to a Peabody Award-winning miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney. In 2006, an online poll of British readers named Tales of the City the UK’s all-time favorite gay or lesbian novel. In 2007, in a long-awaited return to that lore, Maupin revisited one of his most beloved Tales characters in Michael Tolliver Lives. A musical adaptation of Tales of the City is in the works from Jeff Whitty and Jason Moore (creators of the Tony award-winning hit Avenue Q), set to premiere in 2011. His most recent novel, Mary Ann in Autumn, was published in November 2010.

Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.

Website: myspace.com/thekimenglish

Kim English

Recording Artist - PrideFest Main Stage

Kim English has become a household name for high energy, inspirational #1 dance hits (she's had 8 altogether) and hails from Chicago, IL. Over the years, she has made her mark on dance music, and particularly with gay men's club music. Throughout her career, English has experienced a great deal of success on the American Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Hot Dance Singles Sales, Hot Dance Airplay charts and the UK Singles chart, beginning in the mid-nineties and continuing into the 21st century. Between 1999 and 2002 she scored six hits in a row that hit the top two, five of those went to number one: "Unspeakable Joy", "Missing You", "Bumpin' and Jumpin'", "Everyday" and "Treat Me Right". By 2007, English had earned her sixth, seventh and eighth U.S. dance number-ones with "It Makes a Difference", "C'est La Vie" and "My Destiny".

We welcome Ms. English to the Main Stage for PrideFest. We can't wait!

Website: myspace.com/teamgina

Team Gina

Artists - PrideFest Main Stage

They're back! After what their fans feel has been the logest hiatus EVER, TEAM GINA is back, especially for PrideFest! TEAM GINA has synchronized dance routines that will blow your mind. TEAM GINA has phat beats and hype rhymes for days. TEAM GINA has matching outfits that will make you cry. They've performed with countless artists, at events both local and nationally, and have been written about in nearly every newspaper and blog in the country! The Ginas have toured nationally, selling out the Knitting Factory Old Office in NYC, packing huge venues from Atlanta to Austin to Los Angeles to San Francisco and their award-winning videos "BUTCH/FEMME" and "ROCK THE LIKE" have screened at film festivals all over the U.S. and Europe and garnered over 200,000 hits on YouTube.

Team Gina has released two albums, GINA GINA REVOLUTION (2007) and PRODUCTS OF THE EIGHTIES, 2008. TEAM GINA is made up of two fierce femmes: GINA BLING and GINA GENIUS, a former Homecoming Queen and Pageant Winner who have over 20 YEARS of dance classes and theater performances between them. They even appeared on the Broadway stage in XANADU and may or may not have played Zach Morris and Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell. You can listen to their dope jams at http://myspace.com/teamgina but truly, TEAM GINA must be seen to be believed.

Website: Ethel on Facebook

Ethel Merman

Performer - PrideFest Main Stage

If you've seen one drag queen dressed up like a golden oldie, you've seem them all, right? WRONG! To see Ethel Merman live and in person is quite something else. This isn't a drag queen coming out and lip syncing to some super obvious tracks, this is an EXPERIENCE! Amazingly over- the-top drag combined with super awesome live vocals, covering rock classics from Jimi Hendrix to Tina Turner. Ethel Merman has been setting stages ablaze from coast to coast since 1992. A frequent guest at San Francisco's legendary Trannyshack, and a resident at The Artfull Circle Theatre, Ethel Merman is skilled at entertaining crowds of any generation.