The Performer's Awards of Detroit Records (1974-2008) consists of materials relating to the Performer's Awards of Detroit (P.A.D.), an organization that promoted gay entertainment in Detroit, Michigan. The materials detail the organizational history through administrative records such as meeting minutes and correspondence; the annual awards show and its preparation, promotion and performers; other shows and pageants in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area; official USA Pageantry documentation such as handbooks and applications; and posters, awards, and audiovisual materials. The items represent a large portion of gay culture and entertainment in Detroit, Michigan and the greater Southeast Michigan region from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s.
The Performer's Awards of Detroit Records were collected by David Marshall, aka Vicki Martin. Many of the items in the collection bear personal inscriptions to Marshall/Martin, and contain handwritten notes by Marshall.
The collection consists of seven series:
Administrative Records Consists of P.A.D. board meeting minutes, correspondence, rules and regulations, by-laws, award and election nomination lists, member registration lists, newsletters, mission statements, candidate statements, event flyers and other organizational notes. Folders were kept as they were received and usually contain one year's worth of P.A.D. records.
P.A.D. Annual Awards Show Records Consists of records relating to the annual awards show organized by P.A.D. Shows from the First Annual Show in 1976 to the 33rd Annual Show in 2007 are represented. There is a folder to represent each year of the show, containing the event program, ballots, flyers, and many that contain handwritten notes, photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, speeches, performer information, obituaries of entertainers who have participated in the shows, and other information pertaining to the awards shows.
Other Pageant Records Contains various event flyers from Detroit gay bars: primarily Gigi's, but others as well. Also contains event programs, pageant applications, performer headshots, correspondence, newspaper clippings, advertisements, and performer lineup lists. Some files are pageant specific, i.e. Mr. Gay Michigan, Miss Gigi's, Royal Queen of Queens.
USA Pageantry Records Consists of pageant preliminary records, promoter's packages, and handbooks, rules and regulations for specific pageants held by USA Pageantry, including Miss Gay Heartland, Miss Gay USA, Mr. Gay Heartland, Mr. Gay Michigan, Mr. Gay USA, Miss Gay Michigan At-Large, Miss Great Lakes USA and Gay Jr. Miss Michigan. Also included is correspondence, event photographs, performer headshots, notes, and event flyers.
Posters Posters include promotions for various shows and other events held in Detroit, Michigan. A notable inclusion is a poster promoting the 1982 "2nd Annual Moonlight Cruise on the Bob-Lo Boat," which includes a Boblo Boat felt pennant. The Boblo Boats transported passengers to Boblo Island, a former amusement park on Bois Blanc Island in the Detroit River.
Awards Awards consist of trophies, a tiara, and an inscribed softball, as well as a plaque from P.A.D. to award Vicki Martin (David Marshall) for being "a pioneer in gay entertainment."
Audiovisual Materials One VHS tape and four ¼" tape sound recordings.
The Performer's Awards of Detroit (P.A.D.) was formed in 1975 as the Performer's Awards of Michigan "by and for entertainers and individuals directly involved in entertainment within the gay community." For over three decades, the organization hosted many events celebrating gay culture, such as drag shows (female or male impersonation) and other competitions. Members of P.A.D. also participated in official pageant competitions. The events took place throughout Detroit and the Southeast Michigan region. Many of its members also performed throughout the Midwest and the rest of the country. A main venue for the performances was Gigi's Cabaret, as well as other Detroit gay bars and nightclubs, among them Bookie's, Menjo's, and the Pink Flamingo. The P.A.D.'s main event was its annual awards show. The annual show's purpose was to "present awards to individuals who have demonstrated an excellence in their field in designated categories of gay entertainment."
The Performer's Awards of Detroit Records were collected by David Marshall (April 3, 1953 - June 11, 2020), aka Vicki Martin. Marshall was active in the organization from the time of its inception into the mid-2000s. He acted as P.A.D. secretary, served on the P.A.D. board, and was a performer as well, under the name Vicki Martin.
Source: "Cover Letter," Performer's Awards of Detroit, July 14, 1987. Performer's Awards of Detroit Records, University of Michigan Library (Special Collections Research Center).
