Erica Andrews

Erica Andrews (September 30, 1969 – March 11, 2013) was a Mexican drag performer, actress, entrepreneur, activist and beauty queen who was crowned Miss International Queen 2006.

Early life and career Erica Andrews was born on September 30, 1969, in Allende, Nuevo León, Mexico.

She grew up on a small ranch called Los Aguirres in the rural outskirts of Allende, where there was little electricity. She changed her name to Erica, a name she derived from a phonetic pronunciation of Eddie. She attached a colloquial ca to the end of Eddie so that it sounded like Eddieca and formed the name Erica. Consequently, she became Erica Salazar. Beginning around 1989–1990, she took on the stage name Erica Hutton. She named herself after Lauren Hutton, whom she admired. During her childhood, her father was sentenced to ten years in prison for a drug offense. Andrews spent her childhood in Allende through the age of 8, when her mother and siblings crossed the border and settled in Laredo, Texas. Her first performance was at a club named Las Gueras, performing the song Break Away. At the encouragement and with the support of Raphael Ruiz de Velasco (owner of Paper Moon/The Saint), Andrews entered the Miss San Antonio USA pageant. The first pageant title that Andrews won was Miss Just Us (1989). She was a promoter for the Miss Texas Continental franchise. Her titles include: Year Title Location

1997 Miss Gay Texas USofA and Wonder Woman. Her performances

Drag Family Erica was the drag mother of Janet Fierce Andrews, Miss Gay USofA 2018. She was also the drag mother of Roxxxy Andrews, Miss Continental Plus 2010, a drag queen who has appeared on the popular reality television series RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

Activism In 2010, Andrews was the first model for the Faces of Life photographic project that originated from Dallas, Texas. The project by Jorge Rivas was created to bring awareness to people who are HIV positive or have AIDS.

Andrews died from complications as a result of a lung infection on March 11, 2013, at UIC hospital in Chicago, Illinois. In 2007, Andrews did a cameo in Jennifer Lopez's music video, Do It Well from her Brave album, but does not appear in the final edition; And had a cameo as a street walker on Maroon 5's music video (at the 2:09 mark) Won't Go Home Without You from It Won't Be Soon Before Long album. In 2011, she appeared as the love interest in Deborah Vial's music video for the single Don't Make Me Take It from her debut album, Stages and Stones.

Andrews' screen appearances included the United Kingdom-produced documentary Trantasia (2008) which chronicled Andrews' participation in The World's Most Beautiful Transsexual Contest in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2010, she starred in a supporting role in the revenge-horror-exploitation film Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives.

Year Title Role Notes 2010 Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives Emma Grashun

Music video

Year Artist Album Title Role Notes 2011 Deborah Vial Stages and Stones Don't Make Me Take It As Deborah Vial's love interest Andrews debuts at the 0:42 time marker of the video.