Conchita Wurst is the alter ego of Australian singer Thomas Neuwirth, who makes up like a woman. Famous for winning the Eurovision 2014 contest, the artist told the world community that he was sick with HIV.
The appearance of Conchita Wurst
Tom Neuwirth, acting under the pseudonym Conchita Wurst, was born in 1988 in the Austrian city of Gmunden. He became interested in music in 2006, deciding to take part in a TV show for aspiring pop singers Starmania. After that, the artist began performing in the pop group "Jetzt Anders!"
In 2011, Tom Neuwirth came up with an alter ego of Conchita Wurst and moved on to solo performances. He grew long hair, began to wear a long dress, use bright makeup. At the same time, the artist tints his beard, enhancing its effect. In the resulting image, the features of a man and a woman are equally combined. As Neuwirth himself explains, this is a kind of statement in defense of tolerance. The singer seeks to prove to the public that a person must be accepted as he is.
Winning Eurovision and Musical Success
The image of Conchita is used only during stage performances. In ordinary life, the artist remains Tom Neuwirth. In 2014, as Conchita Wurst, he took part in the annual Eurovision Popular Song Contest, performing the song Rise Like a Phoenix. This brought him victory and worldwide fame. After the competition, it turned out that the singer is a homosexual. Russia and some other countries, which are characterized by a xenophobic attitude, reacted to his victory rather coolly.
In 2015, Thomas Neuwirth released his first and so far only album under the name Conchita Wurst and the characteristic name Conchita, including 12 tracks from the famous Rise Like a Phoenix. The album combines the sound of baroque, popular and electronic music. The album became successful in Austria and Switzerland, storming the local music charts for several weeks in a row.
In April 2018, Conchita Wurst's Instragram and Twitter posted a message about the artist's HIV-positive status. In a rather lengthy text, he said that he had been living with the disease for more than one year. The reason for the unexpected confession lies in the singer's former partner, who began to blackmail him and threaten to tell the public about the existing problem.
The news about the disease and the current state of the singer
The fans learned that the Eurovision winner has been receiving medical care for many years and, taking this opportunity, wants to draw people's attention to the problem of negative attitudes towards HIV-infected people. He is determined to fight everyone who tries to threaten him. At the same time, the artist says that he feels good, and also thanks everyone for their support and understanding. Details of the disease and its cause were not disclosed.
There are disputes in the world regarding the real state of the singer. He continues his creative activity, and none of his photographs show the symptoms and aggravations that HIV-infected people face over the years of illness. This suggested that the message in the message was about the artist's alter ego, Conchita Wurst, and not about Thomas Neuwirth himself.
Earlier, Neuwirth had already threatened to "kill" the alter-ego he himself created, as he was tired of this image and wants to try himself in something new. The Australian calls the bearded woman a "relic of the vulgar" and complains that the image only allowed her to win at Eurovision, but not to achieve its worldwide recognition. The version with a fictional disease is also supported by the constant updating of the fictional biography of Conchita Wurst, posted on her official website. If this is really so, then perhaps after a while the singer will already report on the tragic death of his female component.
