Under the names Brenda Dale Knox and The Lady Jonel, she won many local and national drag queen pageants, including: Miss Dixieland 1976, Miss Gay World 1976, The Grand Empress of Savannah 1977, Miss Cosmo USA 1997, Miss Garden City 1997 , Empress of Atlanta 1996 , Miss Atlanta Universe 1998 , Miss Georgia National 1998 and Miss Southern States USA 1998.