Kevin Aviance To Open, Close PrideFest
Milwaukee - He’s had four #1 dance hits top the Billboard charts. His brutal gay bashing stunned the LGBT world in 2006. His valiant comeback from his serious injuries have been an inspiration for his legions of  fans.  Performer, musician, illusionist, designer and all around “force of nature” Kevin Aviance will share both his story and his art during both the opening and closing hours of PrideFest here June 6-8.
  For those unfamiliar with Kevin Aviance, it is likely that they have never stepped foot into a dance club anywhere in the world in the last decade. With two albums under his designer belts, those four #1 Billboard Dance hits, nearly a dozen groundbreaking music videos and a fan base stretching from New York to Tokyo, Kevin Aviance is a force that cannot be denied. His innovative, gender bending avant-garde style has made him a “style icon” in the world of high fashion, his chart topping dance hits and energetic, commanding and innovative live performances have made him a “dance icon” in the international dance music scene, and his proud presence and political activism solidified his status as a “gay icon” for the global gay community.
  Aviance’s darker journey made headlines two years ago. On June 11, 2006 he was attacked after leaving the Phoenix, a trendy East Village club in lower Manhattan by a group yelling anti-gay slurs. A group of six or seven men attacked Aviance and passers-by did not stop to help as they threw objects at him. Aviance suffered a broken jaw in the attack that required emergency surgery. Despite his injuries, Aviance insisted on appearing in the city’s gay pride parade later that month. Four people were arrested and were later convicted on hate-crime charges.
  Kevin will share his story during the opening ceremony at PrideFest Friday night. He also will serve as a Pride Idol judge for the Semifinals on Saturday and the Finals on Sunday afternoon.
He will perform Sunday evening in the Dance Pavilion.
  Aviance was raised in Richmond, Virginia, in a close-knit family with seven siblings. From a young age, Aviance dedicated himself to the study of music and theater. Kevin’s career as a performance artist and club personality began in Washington DC, continued in Miami, and eventually landed him at the epicenter of the club and music scene: New York City where he became the undisputed queen of nightlife.
  Aviance cites superstars Grace Jones, Boy George and David Bowie as key influences in both his performance art and music. Kevin is currently working on a new album and gearing up to release a slew of new singles collaborating with DJ Gomi, Mike Cruz, and Tom Stephan. These hotly anticipated new tracks will be his first releases since the 2003 #1 Billboard Dance hits, “Give It Up” and “Alive,” produced by two time Grammy nominated producer Tony Moran, and his first #1 hit, 1997’s “Din Da Da.” Kevin recently debuted his latest single, “Strut” on The Tyra Banks Show.
  Kevin continues to donate his energies and time to the fight against HIV/AIDS and the fight for human rights. His bookend appearances at this year’s PrideFest will only serve to reinforce the festival’s 2008 theme: “Live. Love. Be.”