29/03/2023
It’s so sad to hear of the sudden death of Lily Savage. Drag queens of a certain vintage cannot fail to have been inspired or influenced by her career. What a legacy! I first saw Lily Savage when I moved to west London as a very young runaway from dreary 1980s Ireland. Lily appeared regularly at my local The Royal Oak in Hammersmith and, for a time, we were always there. Drag shows were the perfect way for my friends and I to ease into a new community in a new city and Lily’s show was one of the best. People would follow Lily (and her contemporaries Regina Fong and Adrella) across London to watch a show… from Vauxhall to Camden, from the East to the West End. Even though they were ‘drag stars’, it was very low key and they’d often hang around afterwards. This was before Lily’s break into TV and I met her a few times back then, never contemplating that my life would somewhat mimic hers. (Back then if you told me I’d end up hosting TV game shows in drag, I’d have laughed in your face and called the police😱). Lily was intimidating - but having the same chat with punters after a long show is draining. (Believe me, I’m well aware if that now!😂) However, I was glad to meet the real Lily years later in Dublin, when she came to *my* show 😱 in the late 90s. Warm, with a biting sense of humour, famous yet down-to-earth, Lily was very REAL. She was loved as a character by so many. That’s a skill. But Paul was also loved for being authentic and compassionate and a trailblazer in so many ways. The Gay Bar in The Sky has a new headliner! RIP Lily Savage.❤️
