Who was Sahara Davenport? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Antoine Ashley

Died At Age: 27

Partner: Karl Westerberg; (2006–2012; Ashley's death)

Born Country: United States

Actors Pop Singers

Died on: October 1, 2012

place of death: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: Southern Methodist University

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Childhood & Early Life

Davenport/Ashley was born on December 17, 1984, and grew up in Aiken, South Carolina. His mother’s name is Angela Ashley Reddish. When he was 4 years old, Michael Jackson’s ‘Motown 25’ performance impacted him deeply. Throughout his childhood, he continued to imitate Jackson and other dancers. He presented his dancing skills at family, church, and school functions.

10 years later, Ashley’s family moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland. He participated in school talent shows, where he met Bonnie Slawson, the owner of a dance studio in town. She offered to train him, and though his family could not afford such training, she took him as a scholarship student at the ‘Motion Mania Dance Center.’

Ashley studied at the ‘Southern Methodist University,’ Dallas, Texas, and obtained a BFA degree in dance. While studying at the university, he developed an interest in drag acts, and after completing his graduation, he moved to New York City and began performing at gay bars and night clubs.

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Career as a Drag Queen

Ashley Antoine assumed a drag persona and initially changed his name to “Sahara Simone,” inspired by Sierra Nicole Andrews and Nina Simone's daughter, Simone. She then changed her name to “Sahara Davenport” after joining the drag family of matriarch Kelexis Davenport. The name “Davenport” was also said to be adopted from the name of drag queen Divine’s role in the 1974 dark comedy ‘Female Trouble.’ Other members of the Davenport drag family included A’Keria Chanel Davenport (‘Drag Race,’ Season II), Honey Davenport, and Ra’Jah O’Hara. One more drag sister, Bianca Gisele Davenport Starr, was murdered on December 8, 2017.

Davenport was also seen in some TV series and movies, such as ‘ABC’s daytime soap opera ‘One Life to Live,’ ‘A&E’ network’s ‘15 Films about Madonna,’ ‘Voom HD’s ‘Magnificent Obsessions.’ She appeared in Kalup Linzy’s video performance ‘Melody Set Me Free,’ shown at the ‘Whitney Museum of American Art.’

She also performed in the music videos ‘Gettin’ Over You’ by David Guetta and Chris Willis and ‘Girl Problems’ by the music group ‘Girl Problems.’

In 2010, Davenport joined the second season of ‘Logo TV’s reality show ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ She was praised for her dance skills, acting skills, and her impersonation of Whitney Houston. She was one of the two drag queens to walk the runway en pointe. Davenport got eliminated in sixth episode and secured the seventh place overall.

After getting eliminated from the reality show, Davenport released two singles: the first one, ‘Pump With Me,’ was released in 2010. The second single, ‘Go Off,’ which was released in 2011, reached number 35 on the ‘Billboard Hot Dance Club.’ Its music video had cameo appearances by drag queens Manila Luzon and Jiggly Caliente.

On the reality show, Davenport talked about her earlier habit of consuming designer drugs (such as ketamine), and she also explained that her drag mother had helped her get over her addiction.

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Family & Personal Life

Davenport was in a relationship with her drag queen partner, Karl Westerberg, aka Manila Luzon. They lived together for 6 years in New York City. Luzon became the runner-up in the third season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ In December 2011, Luzon and Davenport released a duet titled ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside.’ Later, Luzon revealed that the two had first met at a local bar. Luzon also described Davenport as a fearless and talented individual and a funny and amazing performer, who designed her own costumes.

Davenport died of a heart attack on October 1, 2012, at the ‘Johns Hopkins Hospital’ in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 27. The funeral was held at the ‘Snowden Funeral Home’ in Rockville, Maryland.

Davenport’s partner, Luzon, paid a tribute to the drag queen by dedicating a song, ‘Eternal Queen.’ The first episode of ‘RuPaul’s All Star Drag Race’ (aired on October 22, 2012), was dedicated to the deceased drag queen. RuPaul expressed his grief with the words “Shocked and heartbroken over @SaharaDavenport. Never occurred to me that we would ever lose one of my girls. I see them as Immortal.”

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Sahara Davenport Biography