This ‘Masked Singer’ champ says comedy overshadowed his real passion—and now he’s taking it back
Undeniably, 'The Masked Singer' is one of the most unique shows on television, keeping viewers on the edge to guess the identity of the celebrity singer hidden beneath extravagant costumes. Appearing on the show often brings a wave of publicity, which also boosts visibility and can open doors for new opportunities. In one notable instance, following the victory, a winner decided to reframe their career, and we can understand why.
The winner in discussion is Wayne Brady, who won 'The Masked Singer' Season 2. Notably, Brady is a multi-talented entertainer known for his work as an actor, game show host, comedian, and television personality. However, after his 'The Masked Singer' win, Brady showed interest in rebranding his career and opened up about being seen more as a comedian than a musician. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said, "What I've been doing is I do real s**t, pardon my French. That's why I'm a Broadway star... that's why I won an Emmy for a made-up song on Let's Make a Deal, because the music is real."
Ultimately, Brady reveals how he sees 'The Masked Singer' as a potential turning point, saying, "Maybe it will and maybe it won't, but at least I got a shot." He also confirmed that his focus shifting on music, revealing, "It's called 'Flirting With Forever.' I flirted with music forever, and she's been really, really good to me, and I'm ready to make a commitment." Talking about his past record release, Brady shared, "I released a record 11 years ago, and it did well and was nominated for a Grammy and whatnot, but then I just stepped away from it."
Brady then said that this return isn't about chasing fame, saying, "I want to release music not because I want to be the next big thing in R&B but because I genuinely love music. It's given me my career because of the comedy, because of Broadway, because of touring, because I get a chance to sit at the piano and sing with my daughter when I'm at home."
The Emmy winner also explained his motivation for joining 'The Masked Singer,' telling PEOPLE, "The thing in people's minds is, that's Wayne Brady. That's the funny guy that makes me laugh." He added, "That's cool, but they don't think about the reason I made you laugh in all of those shows; it was musical. At the same time I was doing that, I was making records. I've put in a lot of work as a vocalist, but that's not the picture that’s been painted."
Brady further said, "I had to take the message to a bigger venue and use that as my church. That was the real reason for doing 'The Masked Singer.'" He also shared that he sought approval from his family before joining 'The Masked Singer,' saying, "I conferred with my daughter because the coolest person is always going to be your 16-year-old daughter, and I asked her what she thought about me doing it, and I asked her mom, Mandie, so between Mandie and Maile, I got the go-ahead."