Billy Masters (columnist)

Billy Masters (born February 13, 1969 in Somerville, Massachusetts) is best known as an openly gay^[1] gossip columnist whose work is syndicated to gay and alternative publications around the United States. In 1995, his column (originally called "Filth2Go") appeared in Odyssey Magazine, San Francisco. Within three months, it was in over 20 publications, marking the first time a columnist was syndicated in gay papers. By 1998, he started the website Filth2Go.com which routinely was ranked in the top 100,000 websites around the world (according to Alexa.com). In 2005, the column became known simply as "Billy Masters" and the website was rechristened as www.BillyMasters.com.

Masters' style is more light hearted and comedic than most gossip columnists. However, he has broken a number of stories that have been picked up by mainstream publications, including many reports of actors who have appeared in gay porn (Simon Rex, for example). Faye Dunaway has been a frequent target with a feature Billy calls "Fayewatch" - usually chronicling her diva demands and misdeeds. Masters is often quoted on Page Six of the New York Post, and is frequently featured in such publications as People, Entertainment Weekly, The Village Voice, Us Weekly, Playbill, etc. He is a regular guest on radio and television talk shows, getting his start on the Joan Rivers Show, People Are Talking (Tom Bergeron), and Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.

As a performer, Masters acts, sings and does stand-up. He often donates his time to a variety of charities and benefits, including many gay pride celebrations and AIDS Benefits. The Internet Movie Database lists him as an actor in the film The Brinks Job and the television series Spenser: For Hire. He's also featured in hereTV's World AIDS Day Special, We're Here To Remember. In 2005, he filmed two talk show pilots, The Billy Masters Show and Deep Dish, both of which are listed as in development. And in 2006, he appeared as a celebrity judge alongside Chi Chi LaRue and Bruce Vilanch in All Worlds Studio's Fucking with the Stars.

Masters keeps busy as a stand-up comedian and has opened for a variety of other comedians and musical acts, including Taylor Dayne, George Michael, Tiffany, Joan Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Joy Behar, Eartha Kitt, and Grace Jones.

He often refers to Joan Rivers not only as his strongest influence, but as a comedic mentor. In an interview, he said: "Joan Rivers was my first real guide, my comedic godmother. She told me if you bomb, get back up on that stage. If you can't get back up there, then you didn't deserve to be there in the first place. That, and she taught me to be very careful about swearing for a laugh. Take the swear out of the joke, she said. If you can still get a laugh, then it's funny. If you need the swear to get the laugh, the joke stinks!"

In May 2008, Billy Masters performed a limited run of "Going Out On A Limb: Confessions of a Hollywood Insider" at Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory Theatre. At the time, Billy was in Chicago for the Grabby Awards and International Mr . Leather.

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