Courtney Cocks

Courtney Cocks

Her Imperial Majesty,

The Flaming Pink Hibiscus,

Goddess Empress XXXIII,

of The Imperial Sovereign Court of Spokane

Courtney Cocks

Corey Fast, the entertainer behind “The Goddess Empress”, lived his early

childhood years in Hilo, Hawaii. At the time, his father was the owner of the

largest car dealership chain in the Hawaiian Islands. His childhood was one of

affluence. His neighbor in their exclusive neighborhood in Hilo was none other

than George Lazenby, the only actor to have played James Bond in just one film in

the James Bond series. “In Her Majesty’s Secret Service” which was release in

1969. A film Fast has never seen.

Following the divorce of his parents Corey moved with his mother to

Northern Idaho. Fast was a rebellious and some would say a “difficult” child. As a

teen Corey ran away from home, ending up in Las Vegas, NV living life from rave

to rave, immersed in the entire Rave Culture. At the age of twenty, Fast found

himself in the Tri-Cities of Washington. With the coaxing of friends Corey began

performing as a drag queen at “Out & About” in Pasco, WA and Courtney Cocks

was born.

Corey Fast and Chris Rea (Crystal Marche) moved to Spokane, WA and

began performing at Dempsey’s Brass Rail. Fast and Rea became involved in the

Imperial Sovereign Court of Spokane. Corey was crowned Miss. Wrangler in

August of 2003. In October of 2004 Courtney Cocks was crowned the Thirty-third

Empress of Spokane and All Eastern Washington. Courtney won the seat by a very

narrow margin. But despite being relatively unknown when crowned, her reign as

Empress saw a huge increase in court membership and Community involvement

and her step down ball was one of the largest and most successful in recent

memory. She was lauded across the circuit as one of the most beautiful, and

“convincing” queens. Often being mistaken for a biological woman.

Courtney Cocks was the first Empress in the ISCS to be saddled with two

“Co-Emperors”. Both an In-Town and an Out-of-Town Emperor. One who fulfilled

all of the travel requirements, walking with Courtney at all out of town events. And

another at “home” fulfilling the obligations of day to day operations of the court.

While Courtney was spread between both Emperors, and had to fulfill both in

town and out of town obligations herself. This arrangement created an animosity

towards her two Emperors. The “Step Down” pin of her reign depicts a bloody

hammer, a symbol from the 2003 film “Party Monster”, featuring Macaulay

Caulkin and Seth Green. The song she performed and dedicated to her Emperor’s

at her step-down ball in 2005 was “Because of you” by Kelly Clarkson.

Despite the tensions and the feeling of being merely the “Pretty Faced”

puppet of their reign, Courtney was and still is held in high esteem by both of her

Emperors. One of her Emperors purchased the custom crown and scepter on

display here today as a step-down gift to commemorate her reign.

Courtney Cocks stopped performing when Dempsey’s Brass Rail closed in

November of 2011. Today Corey Fast is a successful boutique salon owner and one

of the top hair stylists in Spokane. He enjoys a quiet life, living in the newly

gentrified “West Central” neighborhood of Spokane with his dog Glen. Even today

the “Court Circuit” still revels in telling stories and remembering with great

affection “The Goddess Empress of Spokane”.