Who is Ada Vox? 10 Facts to Know About the ‘Drag Queen’ Star
ABC Reading Time: 4 minutes
Ada Vox took on Queen of The Universe and immediately turned heads. Not only did she dress to impress, she had an amazing voice. She was an immediate fan favorite and predicted to win the series as a whole.
Even though Ada has recently blown up in the world of drag, this wasn’t her first rodeo. Fans of American Idol remember that she actually began on the singing series. Here’s 10 facts you need to know about the American Idol and Queen of the Universe sensation, Ada Vox.
1. Ada Vox is a Texas Queen
Outside of drag, this queen’s name is Adam Sanders. He was born on November 18, 1993 and is from San Antonio, Texas. He grew up listening to Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Selena. Sanders completed schooling at San Antonio High School, then went to college at The University of Texas at San Antonio.
2. Sanders Auditioned for America’s Got Talent Between His American Idol Seasons
Did you know Sanders auditioned for America’s Got Talent between his American Idol seasons? He first appeared on American Idol in 2013 as himself and returned as Ada Vox in 2018. According to his Instagram, he auditioned for America’s Got Talent on January 29, 2015 between the two seasons.
3. Technically, Sanders Has Been on American Idol Twice
In total, Sanders auditioned for American Idol 13 times, but actually made it on twice. In his first successful audition, he made it into the Hollywood Round on season 12. Sanders knew he had a gift, so he auditioned for season 16, with a twist. Instead of auditioning as himself, he dressed in drag. Sanders made it further through the competition as Ada Vox. Many thought Ada was a novelty act at the time.
4. Sanders Identifies as He/Him Outside of Drag
Outside of drag, Sanders uses he/him pronouns, while in drag as Ada Vox, she/her pronouns are preferred. Sanders has explained that Ada is a personification of his diva, while his Adam is the base of himself. He prefers to keep the two seperate, which is why he identifies in different pronouns in and out of drag.
5. Ada Was the Third Drag Queen to Compete on American Idol
It’s no secret that Ada Vox turned heads on American Idol. Everyone wanted to know who she was after her audition. Ada was the third drag queen to compete in the series, following Amnesia Sparkles and JDA. She made history has the first drag queen to advance to the semi finals and finals.
6. Sanders Had Brain Surgery at Eight Years Old
This singer had brain surgery when he was eight years old to remove a cyst. He recalls his mother singing to him to get him through. He shared that the singing gave him a sense of healing and happiness. His mother’s singing was what made him fall in love with music. No matter the pain, music would always lift him up.
7. This Drag Queen is Multi-talented and Refuses to Lip Sync
We’ve heard her sing on some of our favorite shows, but her talents don’t end there. In a recent TikTok video, the queen shared that she also knows how to play the flute and saxophone. A fan in the comments of the flute video asked the queen what she doesn’t do. Ada she replied stating that she doesn’t lip sync. Maybe this is why Ada has yet to perform on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
8. Ada Was Runner Up on Queen of the Universe
In 2021, Ada took to the stage of RuPaul’s latest spin off series, Queen of the Universe. This spin off series was basically an international singing competition for drag queens. As always, RuPaul picked the best of the best to compete. No one was surprised to see this American Idol alum on the stage. She made it all the way to the end of the competition, winning runner up.
9. Fans Gave Sanders Harsh Criticism on American Idol
Sanders admits that he was picked on after season 12 of American Idol. People on social media went as far as giving him death threats online. He’s admitted that people attacked primarily his weight and sexuality, while also throwing in that he wasn’t a good singer. It seems like coming back as Ada Vox was a form of empowerment for this singer.
10. Ada Vox Was Created Three Years Before Her Audition
Like many drag queens, it was love at first sight when Sanders was first introduced to the art of drag. After seeing queens for the first time he became inspired to create a persona of his own. Before making it big, Ada was seen on stage in local clubs. Sander’s didn’t begin performing vocally as Ada until 2018 on American Idol.
