There are voices in Second Life that leave an imprint long after the final note fades, and Chillee Hernandoz is undeniably one of them. Today, I have the honor of speaking with someone who spent years transforming virtual stages into spaces of emotion, energy, and genuine human connection. Her performances didn’t just entertain, they touched hearts across the grid. And although she may be stepping away from the spotlight for now, her creative spirit remains vibrant, unwavering, and deeply inspiring.
From melodies to home design, Chillee continues to leave her mark in Second Life through her beautifully crafted furniture, a creative passion she’s been honing for years. This interview is a chance to look back on a remarkable music legacy, hear the stories behind the songs, and celebrate the evolution of an artist who found ways to create, inspire, and build inside Second Life.
Getting to Know Her:
Q – Grant: Looking back on everything you’ve accomplished, I can’t help but wonder about the very start of your musical journey. Can you share what those early days were like when you first stepped into performing?
A – Chillee: OMG, I had never sung before, well, I shouldn’t say I had never sung before, but I had never sung for anybody. So when I first started here, it was a really big deal for me. It was actually on my bucket list. My friend John Perimore, who was a singer, brought me here. When I first started singing, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I had no idea what to expect, and I started off doing jazz.
I got a spot at this one place, and Victoria, she was a musical coach in real life said she would check me out. So I went over there, and I had to sing for an hour. I remember standing there with my legs shaking so badly. Even though there were people in the audience, you know, I was terrified. I was so scared.
I sang for my hour, then I went and got sick laughs in the bathroom. When I came back out, she wanted to talk to me on voice, so we talked. She said, ‘I’m going to hire you for three days a week, and I’m going to pay you 3,500,’ and I was like… errr… I didn’t know what dollars were! I’m thinking, 3,500 dollars? What is that?
Then I figured out it was 3,500 Lindens. Once I figured out the Linden aspect of it, I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was only going to come here once and sing!
I said okay, and it felt good, but I didn’t want to do just jazz, so I sort of branched out to other places. But you really have to make your own way here. I don’t know if that answers the question.
Grant: Yes you did answer it and it’s incredible how something that starts as a bucket-list moment can turn into an entire journey. I love how honest you are about those early nerves because so many performers feel that same fear but rarely talk about it. And to think you went from shaking legs and stage fright to getting hired on the spot says so much about your talent. It’s amazing how you found your sound and carved your own path in Second Life.
Q – Grant: Fifteen years is a long journey in Second Life, and it’s clear that you embraced the platform from the moment you arrived. I’d love to hear more about that starting point. What was it like for you in those very first days, and how did you find your footing so quickly, Chillee?
A – Chillee: Right out of the box. I had only been here for about a month when I got that first show, and I didn’t know where else to go, I just went and sang there. I wasn’t aware that there were about fifty bazillion other places you could sing.
Then I found out about Kickin’. Kickin’ was a great place to go and get your feet wet. Everyone went there so people could see you, and it was on Saturdays. I was off on Saturdays, so I thought, that would be cool.
So I went on Saturdays at 11 a.m. You don’t get paid there you have to work for it, you know? To me, in Second Life, you can’t just show up and expect to get a job and say you want to sing for people when you don’t even have a group.
I was very fortunate because they had their own group, and it was a well-known place with lots of traffic coming through. It was a really good thing for me. Kickin’ was wonderful, and I enjoyed it.
From Kickin’, I ended up getting more jobs. Most of my opportunities came from there, just singing, having people hear me, and then they’d ask where else I was performing. They’d say, ‘Oh, you should try this place or that place.’ It was other people in the crowd, not even other singers, just listeners who wanted to support me. I think of myself as… well, I’m just Chillee, you know? I’m a closet singer. I don’t know anything about equipment or any of that. Even buying it was a joke because I had no idea what to get, and I didn’t even know how to set it up on my computer. Thank God for John, who got me started in the beginning.
That’s really how it all began. And of course, I met Chayla within my first five months here, and she hired me. I started working for her, and then other jobs came along, Key West and Sherrie’s Gas Light.
Q – Grant: you mentioned something that stood out to me, the people who crossed your path early on. You talked about meeting Chayla within your first few months in Second Life, and I know you’ve said before that she was the best thing that ever happened to you here. I’d love to dive into that a little more. Can you tell us about your friendship with Chayla and what she has meant to your journey in Second Life?
A – Chillee: When we first met… honestly, it had to come from somewhere else from above. That’s truly how I feel about it. She has become my everything. She’s my soul sister, my ride-or-die. And without her, I wouldn’t be here. I really wouldn’t. I don’t think I would’ve stayed.
There are so many things in our lives that coincide, and some of it is really personal so I can’t bring it up. But what she’s done for me, giving me a voice, helping me speak without being terrified that was her. She taught me to have a backbone and to stand up for myself.
I don’t think any therapist or any other person in my life could have done what she’s done for me. When I lost my baby, my pup, who was my child because I lost my real-life child, she was there. They even held a memorial for my baby here… for my pup. Who does that? How wonderful is it that people would even do something like that for me?
But Chayla… she’s the one I spend all my time with. You already know that. She is everything to me. She’s my world, in Second Life. Without her, I don’t think I would have kept singing, and I don’t think I would have stayed in Second Life at all.
When I met her, she was the first girl who ever really liked me. I’m talking both real life and Second Life girls just do not like me! I don’t know why, but they genuinely don’t. So having a girl who was actually a girl, and realizing, wow… she’s really nice and she likes me, that was huge. She didn’t tell me to fuck off! That was amazing.
Grant: Thank you for sharing that, Chillee. What you just described is incredibly powerful, and it really shows how much heart and history lives behind your friendship with Chayla. It’s clear that this isn’t just a Second Life connection, it’s something deeper, something that shaped who you are both in-world and in your real life.
Hearing how she helped you find your voice, stand up for yourself, and even supported you through such personal loss… that speaks volumes about the bond you two share. Not everyone finds someone who becomes a true anchor in their life, someone who shows up through the highest highs and the hardest moments.
Q – Grant: I know you’ve performed at countless venues across the grid, each with its own memories and meaning. But I’d love to pause for a moment and talk specifically about Solar Winds. I know that place held a very special spot in your heart. It wasn’t just another venue for you, it was a space filled with connection, emotion, and community. We as a community are sad it has closed because its been around for so long.
Could you share a little about what Solar Winds meant to you and the impact it had on your life, both as an artist and as a person?
A – Chillee: Solar Winds was like my home. Laluce, who owned Solar Winds, is one of the most beautiful, sweetest ladies you could ever meet. And I’m telling you, to have a venue open for 16 years, going steady? That’s incredible.
When I first started there, which was pretty much right from the get-go, I think she had singers six days a week. So when she asked me to sing, I was like, oh wow… that would be so cool. And I started singing for her, and I just had so much fun there.
But as the years go by, it becomes even more to you. Having Solar Winds felt like a second home. Around six or seven years ago, Chayla had quit her shows, and at the same time, Laluce had just gone through hell with a lot of different people and managers and everything that came with that.
So Chayla and I went to her and said, ‘Look, we love you, how about we help you out?’ So we went through everything with her, and we redid the whole downstairs, decorating and all that, and we took over for her.
Chayla handled all the work with the artists to get them booked, and I focused on the decorating though of course Chayla helped me with that too. There were so many different singers there. Laluce has… gosh, so many people who just adore her. So many artists love her, and so many regular people too, because everyone felt like Solar Winds was home.
To me it was a place where lonely people weren’t lonely. You could meet so many people there and just have fun. The creative side of Second Life is beautiful.
Q – Grant: Now I’d love to shift the conversation a bit and talk about transition and growth. You’ve had such an incredible journey as a performer in Second Life, and I know that stepping away from singing wasn’t an easy decision. What inspired you to retire from performing, and what did that moment of change mean for you personally?
A – Chillie: You know, after 15 years, I felt it was time for me to just have time for myself. It was also because, being here as long as I have and meeting as many people as I’ve met, I started seeing… the dysfunction, I guess you could call it. The way people act, the drama, the way some people treat each other.
Whether you hide your heart or you keep going, it wears on you. After a while, I just didn’t find happiness in it anymore. To me, it was really important to acknowledge people. You say hi to them out loud, not typing, so they can actually hear you. You ask them how their day was. You notice someone who might be sitting quietly and you welcome them. ‘Welcome to the show, welcome to Second Life, welcome to Solar Winds.’ It didn’t matter what the place was, just making them feel comfortable meant everything to me.
I mean Chayla was my list keeper, But you know, you’d have to tell me when couples walked in, because if I missed someone I felt terrible. But then you start getting things in your IMs like, ‘I’m not with that person anymore,’ and ‘Don’t do this,’ and ‘Don’t talk to my man,’ and blah blah blah.
And you know, first and foremost, I’m a girl’s girl. I have a girl code that I live by. My girl code is that I am there for women as friends. I would never go around with, date, or do anything with someone connected to the women in my life. I just wouldn’t. If my friends have been with that person, why would I even go there?
I find that Second Life has a bit of a… cesspool of people who, well, I don’t know the best word “serial dating?” Maybe that’s what you’d call it. You know how one person would say I’ve found the love of my life and the next week they would be separated and not even a week later, I’ve found the love of my life again. That kind of stuff to me is not normal. People even think that I’m gay, I don’t care, I love gay people I love anyone of any of that, I don’t have any prejudice. But I found that you are scared to have fun and talk, your scared to.
I don’t have it in me to hurt anyone, I just don’t. But I’ve come to a place now where I’m like, you know what… just leave me alone. I don’t want any more of that drama and all the stuff that comes with it. And believe it or not, it shows up at almost every show.
You deal with things, and people just never stop. Some of them are just really mean, maybe they were just born that way. And at this point, I just want peace in my life.
Grant: I really appreciate your honesty in sharing that, Chillee. It takes a lot of strength to admit when something you once loved has become emotionally draining, and it makes perfect sense that after so many years of giving your heart to the music, the community, and the people who came to your shows, you’d eventually need to protect your own peace.
Your compassion has always been one of your strongest traits, and the fact that you’re someone who never wants to hurt anyone only makes the weight of that negativity even heavier. Wanting peace isn’t just understandable, it’s necessary.
And honestly, hearing this gives such an important perspective on your journey, because it wasn’t just about stepping away from singing… it was about choosing yourself.
Q – Grant: You’ve shared so much about your journey, your growth, and the reasons you chose to step away from the stage. And I know that decision didn’t come lightly. But I have to ask, do you think you’ll ever sing again, even just for a moment, or in a way that feels right for you?
A – Chillee: Oh yeah, I’ll pick up a set now and then but not right now. It wasn’t just about that, though. I want to retire from my job in real life. I’ve worked really hard my whole entire life. I’ve been at this job for about 30 years. It’s how I paid for my college. I was studying interior design, and I worked really hard at it.
I started out in housekeeping, and my boss saw me cleaning toilets and whistling. He said, ‘Are you really whistling?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m happy to have this job. It’s paying for my college, so yup, I’m pretty happy.’
Then he asked me if I’d like to apply for a job that had come up as his assistant. I said okay… and I got it. It was a huge job. So I’ve worked really hard, and I’ve got everything I need now. I can retire right this minute if I want to.
My brothers travel a lot, and I want to do some traveling too. I want to go to Spain and England. So traveling was another reason for stepping away, I want to be able to go when I want to.
Building Beauty, One Room at a Time:
Q – Grant: That brings me to another chapter of your journey: your store, Chalupa Digs Design.
Beyond performing, you’ve become known for creating beautiful indoor and outdoor furniture, garden designs, and even fully furnished homes. I’d love to explore that creative side of you.
Can you talk about how that all began and what inspired you to start designing and building furniture in Second Life?
A – Chillee: Well, one day I was looking around at things, and I was actually checking the prices of furniture. And I thought, wow, the prices for furniture in Second Life were totally outrageous. I mean… 10K Lindens for a bed?
Oh, I bought one. The first time I went and got furniture, I was so proud of myself. I thought, now I finally have furniture for this little place I bought. I was so proud of it.
And then people started coming over and saying, ‘Chillee… do you know this is all sex furniture?’ And I was like, what?! I had no idea how any of it worked, with the balls and all that kind of thing. I was just like, OMG, and I didn’t know where to buy furniture. Eventually, I found a place that had normal furniture, just PG and I was totally fine with that. But then I thought, why can’t I do this? I mean, other people were doing it. So I said to myself, I’m going to take some courses, and maybe I’ll open a store. That was probably about eight years ago.
I knew it was going to be difficult. So I cut back on my singing, and I took some courses. I went to Blender, and both Chayla and I took the courses and spent about a year and a half learning. Then we started making things. It took a year before I had enough to open a store you can’t open a store with just two or three pieces. When I finally opened it, I had a whole bunch of items ready to sell.
So as an entrepreneur, a businessperson, whatever you want to call it, I wasn’t here to make money, really. I was here to give people something accessible. A lot of people who come to Second Life are disabled, and many are on pensions. For them, Second Life becomes part of their life, just like the music once was for me.
People in wheelchairs… I mean, I had this man come here who said, ‘I can bring my lovely wife to dance now.’ He told me, “We dance together, we get dressed up in the clothes we want to wear, gowns and everything, and I can actually dance with her, and she loves it”. But in real life, she’s in a wheelchair and couldn’t do any of that.
For me… how can you ask for more than that? It’s unreal. Why not give people that? I think it’s a great thing.
Q – Grant: One thing that stands out about your store is how unique and thoughtful each piece feels. It’s clear there’s a creative vision behind it all. I’d love to take a closer look at that side of your work. Where do you draw your inspiration from when you’re designing furniture and homes in Second Life?
A – Chillee: They come from my head. And then getting them out… well, before I learned how to build, Blender was extremely hard to use. It’s a lot of learning, there’s a huge learning curve. I didn’t know if I was ready for that.
But like I said, I was going to school to become a designer, that’s what I wanted to be in real life. So I had already learned a lot in school, and that helped me become the designer I wanted to be here as well.
As for textures, I’ll spend so long searching for them, hours upon hours upon hours, until I find the perfect one I want to use. I’ve made quite a few of them, but sometimes you find a really good texture you want to use, so I’ll just buy it. Or if I find something on the internet that I really like, I’ll get it.
But to build a house, even then, you start with just a square. It’s on the land, you just put that square down, and then you decide how it’s going to go. And I’ve put them down, taken them up, put them down again, and ripped them apart, because it doesn’t take a month… it takes seven months to build one of my houses. The big ones, especially. So it’s not something you can do overnight.
As for ornaments and things like that, trees, plants, I don’t have time to make those. But furniture, pools, showers, and beds? We can make that. Chayla and I can both make that.
Grant: Hearing you talk about your creative process really shows just how much heart and dedication you pour into everything you build. It’s not just putting pieces together, it’s months of learning, experimenting, tearing things apart, starting over, and chasing the exact texture or detail that feels right. That kind of patience and passion is rare.
And the fact that you balance all of this with accessibility in mind, wanting to create for people who might not otherwise have the means, shows the heart behind your brand. It’s not just a store; it’s something meaningful that gives people a space to express themselves, to feel comfortable, and to make their Second Life feel a little more like their own.
Your partnership with Chayla brings an even deeper layer to it, two talented women working side by side, each bringing different strengths to the table. The way you build, the way she supports, and the way your creativity blends together is truly special.
It’s clear that Chalupa Digs Design isn’t just a business for you. It’s a passion, a craft, and a reflection of who you are.
Q – Grant: This is probably going to be my final question, but it’s one I feel is incredibly important. You’ve touched so many lives in Second Life, through your voice, your performances, your creativity, and now through your beautiful designs. Over the years, countless people have followed your journey, supported your work, and stood by you in so many different chapters.
Is there anything you’d like to say to all the people who have supported your voice and your creativity throughout these years?
A – Chillee: A huge thank you. Thank you for being there for me, and thank you for allowing me to be there for you. I couldn’t ask for nicer people as friends. The friends I’ve met here… I swear I have better friends in Second Life than I do in real life.
I have some good friends in real life, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a whole different group of people. When you meet people here, you meet them for who they are, not for their looks, not for anything else. You’re just meeting them. You’re seeing the inside of a person.
And I thank them for letting me see their inside, because it’s pretty cool. I don’t need looks, I don’t need any of that kind of stuff. What I value is compassion and love, and if you read my profile, you see that.
It’s really important to be able to come into a place like this and meet so many amazing people, but it’s just as important to stay grounded and remain the person you were when you first came here. I will never change. My mom brought me up well, and I thank her for that.
So yeah… it would just be: thank you.
In Closing:
As our conversation came to an end, I found myself reflecting on just how many chapters one person can hold within a single Second Life journey. From the trembling first notes of a singer who didn’t yet know her own power, to the courage it took to step away from the spotlight, and now to the creativity and heart she pours into every piece at Chalupa Digs Design. Chillee’s story is one of resilience, authenticity, and quiet strength.
She has built more than homes and furniture here; she has built community. She has touched lives not only through her music, but through her kindness, her compassion, and her unwavering belief that people deserve to feel seen, welcomed, and loved.
What stood out most in this interview wasn’t just the talent, it was the humanity. The gratitude she carries for her friends, the loyalty she shows, the honesty with which she faces challenges, and the softness she still protects despite everything she’s been through.
To Chillee Hernandoz, thank you.
Thank you for opening your heart, for sharing your story with such honesty, and for allowing us to see the woman behind the voice, behind the designs, behind the legacy you’ve created on this grid. Your journey is inspiring, your creativity is endless, and your presence in Second Life is a gift to everyone who crosses your path.
And to those who have supported her along the way, this interview is a reminder of the impact you’ve had on her life, just as she has had on yours.
Here’s to new chapters, new creations, and the continued light Chillee brings to Second Life.
Thank you, Chillee… truly.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and for supporting my little corner of Second Life. It means a lot to share these finds with you and know they’re inspiring someone else’s style journey. Until next time – remember to always throw kindness like confetti. – Grant Wade
