Wasn't she actually shy in the studio?

As I can be. I can seem like a complete prude, but the flip side of me can be anything but that. I was just happy about this discovery of her life, so in “Dance to the Music” I sing “Just as Summer said…”

Photo: Charlotte Rutherford

She and you have so much overlap, including the fact that you have a die-hard gay fan base. Was there a moment when you realized you had started to build this fervent gay following?

There is definitely a moment from around 1989 or 1990 that I remember. In Sydney, the most famous gay bar at the time was called Albury on Oxford Street. I was visiting Sydney and someone said, “There's a Kylie show at the Albury.” I thought, “What?” I couldn't go, but I heard there were drag queens who were different versions of me were dressed up and appeared in different video looks. One was even modeled after a Coca-Cola commercial I did. That was the moment when I thought: Wow! This is amazing.

It took a few more years before I actually saw a drag show with versions of me. But I didn’t actively follow (the fan base). I get asked this all the time, so I don't have a definitive answer, but it became increasingly clear to me that everyone was welcome at my first few shows. I started with parents and small children, then came the grandparents, and then more people came. It was around the early '90s when I saw three generations of one family, some Muscle Marys, some drag queens and a lot of guys. Because I have a very broad demographic, I think my style and my shows were just inclusive. I would like to add that it was the gay community that really protected me when I received a lot of criticism and criticism in Australia. With that extra level of love and devotion, when someone does that for you, it will be reciprocated. I really have to try to find the words, but it was very organic and powerful.