Long before she adopted the moniker Stacey Q, Stacey Swain was captivated by the notion of becoming a full-fledged entertainer.

She studied classical ballet and tried out her vocal prowess by pursuing roles in live opera and community theater. At the age of 10, she landed a coveted spot as the youngest member of the Dance Theater of Orange County, confirming that she was indeed following her life’s passion.

Some of her dates with destiny from that initial jumping off point included: working as an entertainer at Disneyland and a showgirl and elephant rider at Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus.

But things seemed to kick into high gear when she co-founded and became the lead singer of the synthpop group Q in 1981, which was an unlikely twist of fate, she told the Gay and Lesbian Times.

“I’d never had any singing lessons. I’m not a singer; I was a dancer. So the singing thing was relatively new,” she said. “I’ve grown to love singing so much, which is amazing for me, because I am so self-conscious and shy and inhibited as I was. It was the last thing I ever wanted to do was stand in front of thousands of people and sing, so it kind of grew on me.”

The group Q morphed into SSQ (Stacey Swain Q), due in part to Swain becoming the focal point of the group. Ultimately, the star quality that Swain exuded landed her a deal as a solo artist with Atlantic Records, and she took the stage name Stacey Q, in part, as an homage to her former band.

1986 proved to be a banner year for Stacey Q. Not only did she find musical bliss when her signature single, “Two of Hearts” raced up the charts, but her debut solo album, Better Than Heaven, yielded a second Top 40 hit with “We Connect.” But Stacey’s favorite memory was the camaraderie she shared with her band.

“My favorite part was that I could do it with my friends and loved ones, and we had a grand time,” she said.

Her popularity as a teen idol (Stacey Q was almost 30 at the time) led to her being cast on the popular television show, “The Facts of Life” as a singer named Cinnamon, a role that was written specifically for her. She became the love interest of the character of George the handyman (played by a then relatively unknown George Clooney). This television union provided her with a way to combine all of her entertainment loves.

“It was nice meeting the girls,” she said. “Cloris Leachman and I sort of became friends, and it was great working with George Clooney. It was nice to be in television acting, because my experience thus far had been live stage theater.”

Now that all things ’80s are in vogue again, Stacey Q gave her thoughts on the rekindled love affair with the decade that introduced Pac-Man, Reaganomics and leg warmers, as well as some really great music, to the masses,

“I think that the new wave, that whole phenomenon, I don’t think we’re going to see a better movement,” she said. “It’s a really particular time for music; and I think that’s why people tell their kids and their grandkids, and oh God help me, the great grandkids about the music that they listened to, the ’80s stuff.

“I think that they gravitate towards things in the ’80s again, because, well let’s face it, what have been the offerings in the ’90s and the beginning of this millennium?”

In conjunction with the 47th anniversary celebration of The Brass Rail (Nov. 1-3), Stacey Q is set to perform Friday, Nov. 2 at the remodeled lounge and bar. And her show sounds tailor made for gay audiences and ’80s philes alike.

“It’s 100 percent unadulterated pure fun,” she said. “Everybody can just be themselves, and we haven’t seen each other in such a long time, that’s really the most fun part is saying hello again. And everybody is always so kind, and I want to thank everybody for being so supportive, and we’re trying to get that new record done.”

The Brass Rail is located at 3796 Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest. For more information call 619-298-2233, or log onto www.thebrassrailSD.com