I met Danny la Rue many years ago when I was just a poor student bar-hop in one of the night clubs in Southampton. Recently it was anounced that he has finally retired after suffering a stroke last year. I know those of us who saw him perform will always remember him as the consumate professional. Danny was possibly the most famous drag performer ever to come out of the UK.

Danny La Rue, OBE was born on 26 July 1927 as Daniel Patrick Carroll in County Cork. Danny served in the Royal Navy as a young man following in his father's steps, but he became famous as a female impersonator (or "comic in a frock" as he preferred to be called) and was featured in theatre productions, and in film, television, and records. He was made an OBE in the 2002 Queen's Birthday Honours List. Among his impersonations were celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Marlene Dietrich, and Margaret Thatcher. At one point he had his own nightclub in Hanover Square, and also performed on London's West End. In the 1960s he was among England's highest-paid entertainers.

In 1982 he played 'Dolly Levi' in the famous musical Hello, Dolly!, and he is still a regular performer in traditional Christmas pantomime shows in Britain. He appeared as himself in Mr. Bean.

For most of his career, Danny implied that beneath his costume he was a "normal" heterosexual man. Unlike many drag performers, he would always perform parts of his show in men's clothes, and was often seen out of costume on television. More recently, he has been more candid about his private life and the fact that he is gay. Danny lived for many years with his partner and manager, Jack Hanson, until his death in Australia following a major stroke.

Danny la Rue recorded albums, wrote books starred in many stage show, ran his own drag club, and performed all over the world and for heads of state and royalty.

Films
Every Day's a Holiday (1965)
Our Miss Fred (1972)

Books
La Rue, Danny - From Drags to Riches: My Autobiography - Viking, 1987

Underwood, Peter - Life's a Drag!: Danny La Rue and the Drag Scene - Leslie Frewin Publishers, 1974