Condensed Biography
Rose
Empress XLIV Poison Waters, Portland, Oregon
A Community Leader synonymous with: Dedication, Passion,
Humor, Joy and Positive Light!
Poison Waters is not just a personality, Poison Waters is an experience.
Since the age of 20, Poison Waters, a.k.a. Kevin Cook, has
held numerous titles in Portland, Oregon, including Rosebud XIII, La Femme
Magnifique International 1992-1993, Sterling Rose Princess XXV and Rose
Empress XLIV of the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court.
For two decades, she has entertained on countless stages,
coordinated, participated in and hosted an endless docket of benefits,
revues and shows for various local, regional and national charities.
During their reign as The Passion of the Rose, Rose Empress XLIV Poison
Waters and Rose Emperor XXXVIII ShelleY lead the
Imperial Sovereign Rose
Court to raise more than $40,000.00 for various local charities.
For her tireless contributions, Poison has been honored with
the Ray C. Snively Award, The Oregon Bears Presidents Award, Entertainer of
the Year, and the Red Ribbon Award from the Coalition for AIDS Awareness.
An entertainer in high demand, Poison has hosted events such
as Art for Life, AIDSWalk,
Peacock in the Park, The Light a Fire Awards, the
Q Center Halloween Spooktacular, Charitable Single’s Auctions at both
Sak’s
5th Avenue and Nordstrom, the Project Runway Fashion show at
Macy’s and the
Subaru auto & fashion show in Portland’s Historic Union Station, to name a
few. The American Heart Association,
Ronald McDonald House, the
Oregon
Humane Society, Cascade AIDS Project,
Make A Wish Foundation, SHARE Project,
Camp Starlight, The Library Guild Foundation,
Q Center,
Audria M. Edwards
Scholarship Fund and Basic Rights Oregon
are just a sampling of the many
local non profit groups that benefited from these exciting events.
In 2006, Poison happily joined the Executive level of Camp
Starlight’s Planning Commission adding to her already full plate as board of
director’s member of Cascade AIDS Project,
Peacock Productions, Inc. and the
LaFemme Magnifique Board of Governors.
The invitations to speak, appear, perform and host never
stopped coming in 2007. Seattle Metropolitan
magazine and Portland Monthly
magazine both utilized Poison’s talents in their recent over the top
fundraisers for the Make a Wish Foundation and shows for
Oregon State
University and The Human Dignity Coalition, the Queen City Cruise and The
Children with AIDS Show rounded out the last few months of her 2007
calendar. In October of 2007, Poison became the first drag queen in the
Western United States to be featured weekly on a mainstream radio show!
2008 proved to be another dynamic year in Poison’s history,
marking 20 years of entertaining and community service; she is humbled and
honored to have been selected as a Jose Honor Award recipient. When she is not donating her time for a fundraiser or
traveling the globe, she entertains at the legendary Darcelle XV Showplace.
Whatever the title, event, cause or venue, one thing remains
the same: the instant bond between Poison Waters and her audience members.
So, if the opportunity ever arises, come and see “the smile on the face of
Portland”, Rose Empress XLIV Poison Waters. Perhaps you’ve heard of her?
Extended Biography
Poison Waters, a.k.a. Kevin Cook, is one of Portland, Oregon’s premier
entertainers. At the age of 20, she won the title of Rosebud XIII, the
oldest underage gay and lesbian title in the country. Since then, Poison has
performed on every stage in town. The spotlight hungry Poison has
participated in and hosted an endless docket of benefits, revues and shows
for various local and regional charities.
In 1990, Poison Waters joined the cast of
Darcelle XV, one of the most
popular female impersonator revues in the western United States. While
keeping a very busy schedule at the popular tourist stop, Poison continued
supporting the charities through a membership in the
Imperial Sovereign Rose Court (ISRC).
Poison won the prestigious title of La Femme Magnifique, the search to find
the most beautiful and glamorous female impersonator in Portland, in 1992.
This led to the annual Labor Day contest, La Femme Magnifique International,
which found Poison Waters emerging victorious in the competition against
others from around the country.
In 1994, Poison was crowned the Sterling Rose Princess XXV of the
Imperial
Sovereign Rose Court (ISRC). Regional travels representing her city were the
highlight of this reign. “Meeting & greeting” all different types of people
and making each person feel warm and wonderful, has always been a strong
talent and passion for Poison Waters.
Poison was the subject of portraits that became a part of the 1995 Oregon
Biennium, shown at the
Portland Art
Museum in downtown Portland. This show highlights the work of the top 200
artists, sculptors and photographers in the state of Oregon, every two
years.
In 1996, the high school Kevin graduated from was selected to be the subject
of a nationally televised, two-hour, prime time special on NBC. Class
Reunion was the name of the special produced by the team responsible for
both MTV’s the Real World and Road Rules, Bunim & Murray. Obviously, Poison
Waters appeared to be the most memorable part of that 10- year high school
reunion!
 In 1997,
Portland Rose Festival’s Starlight Parade featured a float sponsored by
KKRZ’s Z100. The popular local radio’s wacky morning show, The Morning Zoo,
decided to make the float ”A Tribute to Drag Queens”, keeping with the
festivals theme: Just for Fun! Poison was one of only four drag queens in
the city chosen to participate. This regionally televised parade is the
second largest illuminated parade in the United States, and the “crossover”
exposure was a great opportunity. It also provided the straight community a
chance to see a fun side of another lifestyle they might not otherwise have
ever seen.
For over a decade, Poison served as Mistress of Ceremonies of the 2nd
largest GLBT gathering in the state;
Peacock in the Park (the
primary fund- raiser for the
Audria M. Edwards
Scholarship Fund). In 1999 she became a founding board member of
Peacock Productions Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to raising
funds and ensuring the prosperous future of the Audria M. Edwards
Scholarship Fund.
A media darling since 1988, Poison Waters is constantly mentioned, if not
featured in many of the local periodicals and newspapers. They’ve covered
everything from her pageant success and fund raising efforts, to numerous
appearances with Thomas Lauderdale’s
Pink Martini. As you can see, there’s not much that Poison Waters
hasn’t done.
2001 was a big year for Poison Waters. In the spring she received rave
reviews for her featured role in The Musical Theater Company's productions
of; La Cage aux Folles and she was elected to a seat on the Esther's Pantry
Board of Directors. Summer 2001 saw Poison commentating at the "Bridges of
Pride" Pride Parade and volunteering for a week as camp counselor at
Camp Starlight for children affected and/or
infected by HIV/AIDS.
In the fall, she received a 2001 Red Ribbon Award from the Coalition for
AIDS Education for her tireless contributions to AIDS organizations and on
October 27, 2001, Poison Waters was elected to the position of the Sterling
Rose Empress XLIV of the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court.
Together with her Emperor ShelleY, Poison reigned
over the City of Roses as "The Passion of the Rose". Their Most Imperial
Majesties worked to ignite the "passion" within the community. Their
absolutely contagious message of "Positive and Perky" has inspired new
growth within the Rose Court and continues to build bridges between the Rose
Court and the many other organizations within the community. During their
reign, ShelleY and Poison helped lead the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court to
raise more than $40,000.00 for
various local charities.
On October 26, 2002 Poison Marie Waters stepped down as the reigning Empress
of the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court. However, her pace has not slowed. On
New Years Eve 2002, Poison rejoined the cast of the world famous Darcelle XV
& Company following a 10-year absence. You can catch Poison every Friday
and Saturday night at 8:30pm and 10:30pm.
The Darcelle XV Showplace is
located at 208 NW 3rd., Portland, Oregon.
2003 found Poison featured, again, in various newspaper articles in the
local press and on Valentine’s Day, she was the special “on the air” guest
of popular radio station KNRK. Radio personalities Daria and Gustave had
their hands full with Poison in the sound booth during the LIVE broadcast of
their morning show!
She also kept busy booking herself for private parties and modeling for L’mu
Salon, in the Pearl District.
This same year Poison was also featured in a television commercial for the
Portland restaurant No Fish! Go Fish!.
The creative advertising spots were aired at various times on the WB
network. The commercials, two versions, were a product of Funland Pictures.
In February of 2004, Poison ended her three season run as the Hostess of the
GALA (Gay & Lesbian Audience) Night for
Portland Center Stage, it was a rewarding experience and she was a
welcomed addition to the Portland Theater Community. Two months later she
also brought to an end, the "Church of the Poison Mind", her Sunday
afternoon party that brought happiness and entertainment to the Community
for 4 1/2 years at the Silverado.
In the Spring
of 04, Poison was honored to be invited to Honolulu, Hawaii to MC the
Island’s La Femme Magnifique Pageant. The connection was so great, she’s
been back each year, enjoying the growing success of the pageant and
cultivating friendships and working relationships.
Vancouver BC Canada launched a new GLBT travel show called Pink Planet, and
booked Poison Waters as their official guide and ambassador to the City of
Roses. The series pilot was a smashing success and featured Poison
highlighting the various aspects of Portland’s Pride Festival, a concert
cruise on the Portland Spirit and of course, a glimpse into the world famous
Darcelle XV. Canadian television viewers had been an untapped market for
Poison, until now!
 The
wicked stage called once again and Poison was cast in three productions,
back to back. First, she played Miss Texas in the musical spoof on the Miss
America Pageant, a hilarious comedy called PAGEANT: the musical. Every night
judges selected from the audience chose the pageants winner, and it’s no
surprise, Miss Texas was crowned the winner more times than any of the
others. Although, the nights she lost were almost even more entertaining! Up
next she was cast in the role of Tootie in the all male musical version of
The Facts of Life! Sold out audiences enjoyed the roller skating, busty and
sassy Tootie Ramsey, ala Poison Waters! Then she was asked to make a special
appearance in the role of God in the play Faust. Us. (Version 2.0). The
Willamette Week hailed “the prettiest Lord we’ve ever had”!
In 2005, two television appearances were on the menu for Poison. A mini
version of The Dating Game was recreated on the popular morning show
AM
Northwest, and although Poison would host the actual event that was being
promoted, Kevin stepped in and hosted the day time talk shows “tamer” game!
Soon after, America’s Next Top Model, Portland edition chose Poison as one
of the celebrity judges. The two day filmed event saw over 1200 ladies vying
to become Portland’s Next Top Model, in the hopes of winning a spot at the
national level. The result? An hour long special aired highlighting the
reality contest….AND Poison Waters!
Aligning herself with Portland Monthly magazine, Poison hosted several of
the publications popular events from a Single’s Auction at
Sak’s 5th Avenue, to
a Subaru car show and fashion show in Portland’s historic Union Station. The
Ronald McDonald House and the
Oregon Humane Society were just two of the
many local non profit groups that benefited from these exciting events.
Cascade AIDS Project had Poison host both of their major events that year,
Art for Life at Montgomery Park and AIDSWalk in Pioneer Square. There were
also appearances at the Basic Right’s Oregon Dinner at the Oregon Convention
Center, the NIKE Executive Team’s Holiday Party, the Light a Fire Awards at
the Portland Art Museum and the Halloween Spooktacular for the Q Center.
In 2006 Poison hosted the launch party of
Seattle Metropolitan magazine at
the Paramount Theater in the Emerald City as well as the gala events for
Portland Center Stage, The Library Guild Foundation, SHARE Project, The
Lakewood Center Associates, the
Oregon Humane Society and
Cascade AIDS
Project. This was the year Portland opened its
Q Center (LGBT Community
Center) and invited Poison to host its monthly bingo party. The Q center
holds many events, but the bingo continues to be its most popular and most
profitable.
In August,
Poison Waters teamed up with FOX Q13 and
Seattle Metropolitan to host their
Singles Auction fundraiser for the non profit group On the Boards. The sold
out event was held in the
Nordstrom flagship store in Seattle, who for the
first time ever, turned three of its floors into a nightclub for the
evening.
While Poison
continues to appear at the popular Darcelle XV showplace, she was honored to
be asked to take over for Darcelle herself while the legendary performer
took 3 months off for knee surgery. Poison also re-joined the board of
directors for the Cascade AIDS Project and held her seat on the board of
directors for Peacock Productions/ AME Scholarship Fund.
The Oregonian ended
the year nicely using Poison/Kevin as one of their shopping ambassadors,
proving Portland shoppers valuable advice and insight to the current holiday
shopping season!
Finally, in
2006, Poison happily joined the Executive level of Camp Starlight’s Planning
Commission. Full time planning, fund raising and recruiting combined with
overseeing policy and programming added a lot to Poison’s plate, but the HIV
kids camp she first volunteered for in 2001 has a strong enough hold on her
heart, the added duties are welcomed.
2007 was another dynamic
year in Poison’s history, marking 19 years of entertaining and community
service. The invitations to speak, appear, perform and host never stop
coming in. The regional publishing
world has taken hold of Miss Waters to host many events!
Seattle Metropolitan and
Portland Monthly
both utilized Poison’s talents in their over the top fundraisers for the
Make a Wish Foundation, where
thousands of dollars were raised in both markets for this amazing
organization! Poison was lucky to work
with Alaska Airlines and
Verizon Wireless on these two
fantastic events! When the new publication
Seattle
Metropolitan Bride and Groom launched in 07, Poison was on hand and also
for the newest title in
Portland, Portland Spaces (the places we call home).
Poison again produced and starred in her unique show for both
Oregon State University in
Corvallis,
Oregon and The Human Dignity
Coalition in Bend, Oregon. These two popular fundraisers were both sold
out and a definite highlight to Poison’s calendar! She also jumped at the
chance to once again entertain
the many people on board the Queen City Cruise in Seattle with the
Tacky Tourist Clubs of America! The
Children with AIDS Show in Tri Cities, Washington celebrated its 10th
Anniversary and invited Poison to
appear and speak on behalf of Camp Starlight.
In the autumn of this year, Poison was brought on to make a weekly
appearance on Portland’s most
popular radio station,
Movin 107.5 with DJ Stacey Lynn. Poison is the first drag queen in the
Western
United States to be featured weekly on a mainstream radio show! The phones
light up when Poison
speaks!
In 2008, Poison was very excited to celebrate her 20th Anniversary as an
entertainer and spokesperson,
as well as the 10th Anniversary of Camp Starlight! She was also humbled to
be a recipient of the 2008 Jose
Honor in Denver, CO, 1 of only 8 in the US, Canada and Mexico. While
entertaining and service to the
Community come naturally to Poison, being recognized for her work was a
perfect way to celebrate two
decades of FUN!
Poison has chosen 2009 to launch into full time Poison Waters mode.
While keeping her annual
bookings at Oregon State University
and the Human Dignity
Coalition, she’s also added gala’s for the
Portland Schools Foundation,
the Portland Art Museum and
Next Door, Inc. in the Columbia
Gorge. She’s
already taped segments for OPB’s Art Beat
and Better TV’s national morning show and made her first
appearance on the Rick Emerson radio show. The sky’s the limit! There are
many organizations that will
benefit from Poison’s time and talents in the next 20 years, and many, many
audiences will enjoy her
charm, wit and beauty! Maybe YOU will be there along the way?
Whatever the title, whatever the event, cause or venue, one thing remains
the same: the instant bond
between Poison Waters and her audience members. So, if the opportunity ever
arises, come and see “the
smile on the face of Portland”, Poison Waters. Perhaps you’ve heard of her?
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