Benni Miller (born Bennie Roy Miller; December 31, 1984), better known by the
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Ra'Jah O'Hara, is an American
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
best known for competing on the
eleventh season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'' in 2019 and the
sixth season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, b ...
'' in 2021 finishing as a runner-up. She was crowned the winner of the international ''All Stars'' spin-off series, ''
Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World'' which aired in 2022.
Career
Ra'Jah O'Hara was announced to be one of fifteen contestants competing on the
eleventh season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'' on January 24, 2019.
In the third episode, she was involved in the show's first ever six-way
lip sync
Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals.
Audio for lip syncing is generated thr ...
with
Honey Davenport
James Heath-Clark (born August 13, 1985), known professionally as Honey Davenport, is an American drag performer, singer, songwriter, actor and activist. Davenport was a longtime fixture of the New York City nightlife scene and came to interna ...
,
A'keria C. Davenport, Plastique Tiara,
Scarlet Envy
Jacob James Grady (born February 26, 1992), better known by the stage name Scarlet Envy, is an American drag queen, reality television personality, singer, and performer who came to international attention on the eleventh season of ''RuPaul's Dr ...
, and
Shuga Cain
Shuga Cain is the stage name of Jesus Martinez (born November 20, 1977), an American drag queen and baker who came to international attention on the eleventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''.
Early life
Martinez was born in Oakland, California ...
, which she survived. She later lip-synced again against Scarlet Envy, sending her home to
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
's "
Last Dance". The following episode, she lip synced again with A'keria C. Davenport to
Sheena Easton
Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...
's "
Strut
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
Human anatomy
Part of the functionality o ...
", where she was sent home. Ra'Jah O'Hara competed in pageants prior to ''Drag Race''. She originally was billed as Ra'jah O'Hara Narcisse. Her drag mothers are pageant titleholders Sha'Niah Ellis Narcisse, Silkie O'Hara Munro, and Kelexis Davenport.
In June 2021, Ra'Jah O'Hara was announced as one of the thirteen contestants competing on the
sixth season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, b ...
''. In the second episode of the series, she was declared the winner of the main challenge. She lip-synced to
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's "
Miss You Much
"Miss You Much" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). As with all ...
" against Season 11 runner-up and co-host of ''
Canada's Drag Race
''Canada's Drag Race'' is a Canadian reality competition television series based on the American series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and is the Canadian edition of the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by Blue Ant Studios. In a similar format to th ...
'',
Brooke Lynn Hytes
Brooke Lynn Hytes is the stage name of Brock Edward Hayhoe (born March 10, 1986), a Canadian drag queen, ballet dancer, performer, and television personality. After working as a dancer with Cape Town City Ballet and Les Ballets Trockadero de Mo ...
. They were both declared winners. Ra'Jah O'Hara sent home fellow contestant
Jiggly Caliente
Bianca Castro (born November 29, 1980), commonly known as Jiggly Caliente, is a Filipino-American drag performer, singer, and actress best known for competing on the fourth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', the sixth season of ''RuPaul's Drag R ...
in addition to winning $20,000. She also won the main challenge in the ninth episode, but lost the lip sync to
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
's "
Boom Clap
"Boom Clap" is a song by English singer and songwriter Charli XCX, released as the first single from the soundtrack album of ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2014) and is also featured on XCX's second studio album, ''Sucker''. There are two existing ...
" against
Kameron Michaels
Dane Young (born July 23, 1986), known professionally as Kameron Michaels, is an American drag performer who came to international attention after competing on the tenth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Originally from Columbia, Tennessee, sh ...
. She finished the season as a runner-up with two wins and two bottoms in the sixth and the eleventh episode.
In October 2022, Ra'Jah O'Hara was announced to compete in the international ''All Stars'' season based in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, ''
Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World''. In the second episode, the
Snatch Game
Snatch Game is a challenge on the ''Drag Race'' reality competition television franchise. Beginning with the second season of the original American series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', the challenge has taken place on every season since. It has also o ...
, she placed in the Top 2 with the winner of the
second season of ''Canada's Drag Race'',
Icesis Couture
Icesis Couture is the stage name of Steven Granados-Portelance (born February 3, 1987), Peter Knegt"All in the glamly: These real-life brothers are giving Ottawa drag a jolt of sister queen realness". CBC Arts, February 13, 2019. a Canadian drag q ...
, in which she lost the Lip sync to "
Sk8er Boi
"Sk8er Boi" (pronounced "skater boy") is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the second single from her debut album, '' Let Go'' (2002). It was written by Lavigne and the Matrix (Scott Spock, Lauren Christy, and Graham ...
" by
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
against her. On December 23, 2022, Ra'Jah O'Hara was declared the winner of the season, beating fellow Season 11 contestant
Silky Nutmeg Ganache
Reginald Homer Steele (born December 31, 1990), better known by the stage name Silky Nutmeg Ganache, is an American drag performer from Chicago, Illinois, who came to international attention in 2019 when she competed on the eleventh season of ...
in a Lip Sync for the Crown to "
River Deep – Mountain High
"River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released as the title track to their 1966 studio album on Philles Records. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked "R ...
" by
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
. She won $100,000 as well as the title of "Queen of the Mother-Pucking World", previously held by ''
RuPaul's Drag Race UK
''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. T ...
'' alumnus and winner of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs the World'',
Blu Hydrangea.
Education
Miller attended the
.
Personal life
Miller was born to Telesia Ann Miller and lives in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas.
[ Miller is a member of the Drag Haus of Davenport, with ''Drag Race'' alum ]Kennedy Davenport
Reuben Asberry Jr., better known by the stage name Kennedy Davenport (born September 9, 1980), is a drag queen, television personality, and dancer from Dallas, Texas, who came to international attention on the seventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag ...
, Sahara Davenport
Antoine Ashley (December 17, 1984 – October 1, 2012), better known by the name Sahara Davenport, was an American drag queen, singer, reality television personality, and classically trained dancer. Davenport was best known as a contestant on th ...
, Monet X Change
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...
, Honey Davenport
James Heath-Clark (born August 13, 1985), known professionally as Honey Davenport, is an American drag performer, singer, songwriter, actor and activist. Davenport was a longtime fixture of the New York City nightlife scene and came to interna ...
and A'keria C. Davenport.
Filmography
Television
Theatre
Web series
Music videos
Discography
As featured artist
Awards and nominations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:OHara, RaJah
1985 births
Living people
African-American drag queens
People from Dallas
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars contestants
Ra'Jah O'Hara
Benni Miller (born Bennie Roy Miller; December 31, 1984), better known by the stage name Ra'Jah O'Hara, is an American drag queen best known for competing on the eleventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' in 2019 and the sixth season of '' RuPaul ...
Drag Race (franchise) winners