Aaron Coady was born on November 28, 1981 in Newton, Iowa. He has been candid in discussing his childhood years growing up in Iowa as a difficult time when he faced anti-gay and anti-"outsider" harassment, which prompted him to drop out of school before he could complete his high school education.

In 2004, Coady moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he began working as a professional drag performer with the stage name Sharon Needles (a pun on the phrase "sharin' needles") in nightclubs and various other venues with the drag troupe "the Haus of Haunt", which Needles describes as "one punk rock, messy mash up of very talented, fucked up weirdos".

In June 2012, the Pittsburgh City Council issued an official proclamation declaring June 12, 2012, "Sharon Needles Day."

Needles lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Needles was in a four-year relationship with fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Justin Honard, better known by his stage name Alaska Thunderfuck; they ended their relationship in 2013, but remain friends.

Sharon Needles was also voted the "Best Drag Performer" of Pittsburgh 2015 by the staff of the Pittsburgh City Paper.