Alaska

An icon to both Spain's homosexual community and the country's Movida Madrileña movement — a socially liberating movement that coincided with the explosion of punk and new wave — singer Alaska was born in Mexico City but grew up in Spain. It was there she fell in love with David Bowie along with Lou Reed and declared that she wanted to be a boy just to be gay. This brassy and flamboyant attitude helped her land a spot in one of Spain's first punk rock bands, Kaka de Luxe. The band lasted two years before the 1979 formation of Alaska y los Pegamoides, a name that referenced their idols, Siouxsie and the Banshees. In 1982 she joined Dinarama, which would become Alaska y Dinarama a few years later. She guided the band as it went from new wave to synth pop, a genre that would dominate her next band, Fangoria, which she formed in 1986. She also became very involved with Spain's gay pride movement during this time, began another career as a part-time actress, and became host of a slick children's television show, La Bola de Cristal. With Fangoria still going strong in 2007, Alaska took some time to collaborate with singer/songwriter Miguel Bosé for his album of duets, Papito.