1. Big Freedia was scheduled to go on tour with Kesha in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
35 Facts About Big Freedia
1. 2.
Big Freedia adopted her stage name after a friend dubbed hee "Big Freedia".
3.
In 1999, Big Freedia began her professional career with the release of her first single, "An Ha, Oh Yeah", and began performing frequently in clubs and other venues in New Orleans.
4.
Big Freedia released her first studio album, Queen Diva, in 2003.
5.
Big Freedia settled for several months in Texas, where she began performing bounce shows for the locals, helping spread awareness of the genre like other displaced bounce artists.
6.
Big Freedia moved back to New Orleans at the first opportunity.
7.
Big Freedia played six to ten shows a week at block parties, nightclubs, strip clubs, and other venues while the city recuperated.
8.
Big Freedia began to gain national exposure after a 2009 fest-closing gig with Katey Red and Sissy Nobby at the Bingo Parlour Tent and the 2009 Voodoo Experience.
9.
Big Freedia signed to the Windish Agency afterwards, and booked a summer tour.
10.
In May 2010, Big Freedia began touring with DJ Rusty Lazer and a team of "bootydancers", along with pop band Matt and Kim.
11.
Big Freedia performed for contemporary art mogul Jeffrey Deitch at Basel Miami and at New York's MoMa art museum.
12.
Big Freedia continued to tour throughout the United States, and in Fall 2010 had her first national television appearance on the Last Call with Carson Daly.
13.
Big Freedia won an MTV 0 Award in 2012 for "Too Much Ass for TV".
14.
Big Freedia appeared on HBO's Treme, a drama following residents of New Orleans as they try to rebuild after Katrina.
15.
Big Freedia toured with The Postal Service in 2013, opening for the band at numerous venues throughout July and August.
16.
The second season of the show aired in 2014 and followed her mother Vera Ross's battle with cancer, which she lost on April 1,2014, while Big Freedia was away doing a show.
17.
Big Freedia immediately flew back to New Orleans and planned a jazz funeral through the streets of the city, which the show aired.
18.
On July 31,2014, Big Freedia headlined "4th Year Anniversary of Bounce" at Republic, as well as the next year's event at the same venue.
19.
Artists, such as Beyonce and Drake, promoting Big Freedia have been criticized for using Big Freedia's voice but leaving her completely visually absent from their videos.
20.
However, in a 2018 interview with Wendy Williams, Big Freedia said she was out of the country doing a show and therefore she could not be in the "Formation" video with Beyonce.
21.
Big Freedia has performed onstage with Beyonce in at least one location of her Formation Tour.
22.
In December 2016, Big Freedia released A Very Big Freedia Christmazz, which she collaborated on with Boyfriend, who co-produced and co-wrote 4 songs on the EP.
23.
In September 2017, Big Freedia released the single, "Dive" which featured rapper Mannie Fresh, who is from New Orleans.
24.
On October 24,2019, Big Freedia was featured on Kesha's "Raising Hell", the lead single for her fourth studio album High Road.
25.
In 2020, Big Freedia released a documentary film about her New Orleans upbringing and the issues of gun violence.
26.
The film, Big Freedia Got a Gun, is a response to her brother's 2018 murder and explores Big Freedia's experience with gun violence in the community and tries to uncover the root causes of the issue.
27.
Big Freedia appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 6 episode 2 in June 2021.
28.
In June 2022, Big Freedia appeared on Beyonce's single "Break My Soul".
29.
In March 2025, it was announced that Big Freedia is featured on In the Garden, a concept album and musical by the artist Boyfriend set for release on May 09,2025.
30.
Big Freedia is releasing the album on her label Queen Diva.
31.
In 2016, Big Freedia was indicted on charges of theft of government funds after he failed to report his income earnings between 2010 and 2014 while still claiming Section 8 housing benefits.
32.
Big Freedia was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service in lieu of a jail sentence.
33.
In 2018, Big Freedia revealed in an Instagram video that the judge in the case had granted his request to end his probation one year early for good behavior.
34.
In 2021, Big Freedia endorsed Democratic candidate Gary Chambers in the 2021 Louisiana's 2nd congressional district special election, recording a song and filming a music video in support of Chambers and his campaign.
35.
Big Freedia has stated that she doesn't feel pressured to gender herself and that it ultimately doesn't matter to her what pronouns people use.