There are certain people who don’t simply become part of a community’s history. They help create it.

For nearly three decades, Shawn Palacious — forever known and loved as the incomparable Kitty Meow — has been one of those people in South Florida. 

And today, as Shawn celebrates his 56th birthday, I find myself thinking not only about the entertainer, the personality and the unforgettable character that generations of us have watched light up a room, but about the man behind all of it — my friend. 

If you experienced South Beach during its extraordinary era in the 1990s, you understand just how magical that period was. South Beach wasn’t simply a destination. It was a cultural explosion. Fashion, nightlife, music, art and LGBTQ life collided in a way that felt like nowhere else in America. 

And right in the middle of it was Shawn Palacious. 

Kitty Meow became part of the visual language of South Beach — outrageous, glamorous, fearless and absolutely unforgettable. Shawn’s fashion reflected the spectacle of the era, including elaborate looks inspired by Bahamian Junkanoo traditions. He worked the door at the legendary Paragon, where South Beach nightlife regularly brought together celebrities, designers, models, artists and an LGBTQ community that was defining itself in real time.  

Shawn has recalled encounters from those years involving everyone from Gianni Versace to Naomi Campbell, Sting and André Leon Talley. But what made Kitty Meow iconic was never simply who Shawn knew. 

It was the energy he brought into the room. 

You knew when Kitty arrived. 

You saw the fashion. You heard the laughter. You felt the personality. 

And somehow, nearly 30 years later, Shawn still has that ability. 

But anyone who truly knows Shawn knows that his greatest story is not about nightlife, celebrity or fabulous costumes. 

It is about reinvention. 

Shawn faced personal struggles that could have defined the rest of his life. Instead, he made a decision to move forward. 

What followed has been one of the things I admire most about him. 

He became focused. He became committed. He turned his energy toward serving others and toward being present for the community that had embraced him. Shawn has volunteered his time with organizations and community events, including Pride Fort Lauderdale, Julian’s Fountain of Youth and the Stonewall Street Festival and Parade and so many more impossible to count.  

That matters. 

Because character is not measured simply by never falling down. Character is revealed by what you do after life knocks you down. 

Shawn got back up. 

And he came back stronger. 

Our friendship has given me the opportunity to see sides of Shawn that an audience may never see. 

About a decade ago, Shawn and I tackled Los Angeles together when Frontiers Magazine was purchased by a company that I founded. It was another chapter, another adventure and another reminder that wherever Shawn Palacious goes, he brings a combination of creativity, tenacity and unmistakable personality with him. 

Over the years, we have never left each other’s side. Filled with support and tireless love and respect for each other. We have journeyed through publishing, entertainment, LGBTQ advocacy, community events and countless unforgettable South Florida moments. 

I have watched Shawn evolve. 

I have watched him struggle. 

I have watched him succeed. 

And most importantly, I have watched him continue to show up. 

Today, Kitty Meow remains unmistakably relevant. Shawn continues creating, performing, entertaining and supporting South Florida’s LGBTQ community. His Kitty Meow Show celebrated entertainment, personalities and the history of the community, including the legendary places that helped build LGBTQ life in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale.  

At 56, Shawn remains an artist, an entertainer and, perhaps most importantly, a community personality who understands the extraordinary privilege of being loved by the people around you. 

And South Florida has loved Shawn. 

This community embraced him through the wild years of South Beach, through changing times, through personal challenges and through his evolution into the man he is today. 

That relationship goes both ways. 

Because Shawn has embraced South Florida right back. 

There is something beautiful about watching someone reach a birthday like this and realizing that the story isn’t about getting older. 

It is about becoming more fully yourself. 

And number 56 has very rarely looked better on anyone. 

Shawn, may your energy never diminish. 

May your tenacity continue carrying you forward. 

May your passion continue inspiring people. 

May you keep creating, laughing, entertaining and reminding all of us that life is supposed to have some sparkle. 

And may you continue shining across this beautiful South Florida community that you and I are so fortunate to call home. 

There will only ever be one Kitty Meow. 

There will only ever be one Shawn Palacious. 

And I am incredibly fortunate to call him my friend. 

Bobby Blair loves Shawn Palacious. 

Happy 56th birthday, my friend.

Keep shining.

The best part of your story I am certain is still ahead.

Bobby Blair is a former professional tennis player in the 1980s. Blair is a LGBTQ media pioneer, Executive Director of the Community Media Advocacy Network, and Publisher of Hotspots Magazine and Perks Plus VIP community mobile APP. He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his partner, Brian Neal. A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native.