Paul O’Grady: Folk Hero/ine
Assuming you’re American, I wouldn’t expect you to have heard of Paul O’Grady, also known by his drag queen name of Lily Savage. Long before RuPaul was a glittery twinkle in the eye of BBC programming directors, Lily Savage was an unlikely mainstay on primetime UK television. Paul O’Grady died this week aged 67, and I just felt an urge to mark his legacy. I’m going to use him/her interchangeably, as Lily was as much of a presence as Paul.
Britain has as many hang-ups about sexuality and identity as anywhere (see our current status as ‘TERF Island’), but there are some surprising examples of progressive casting in mainstream entertainment. The soap opera Coronation Street, for example, has been one of the biggest shows in the country for decades, and in the 2000s, one of the main characters was an openly transgender woman. Aside from some opening storylines establishing context, she lead a relatively normal (for soap operas) life with regular concerns, and was married to a cis man with general community support, and little outcry in the media.
Many openly gay men and women have enjoyed incredibly successful TV careers at the highest levels of celebrity - game show host Larry Grayson, actor John Inman, sports presenter Clare Balding, comedians Julian Clary and Alan Carr, Bake Off host Sandy Toksvig and broadcaster Stephen Fry to name but a few. Similarly with Lily Savage - by the late 90s and early 2000s, O’Grady was presenting (in character) game shows and chat shows with millions of viewers.
Lily Savage as a drag queen came out of the gay clubs of London in the 80s, a highly politicized time. Successive Conservative governments constantly attacked the queer community, the AIDS epidemic was aggressively fanned as gay panic by the tabloid newspapers, and queer rights were coming under scrutiny in worrying ways.
The Vauxhall Tavern in south London was, and still is, a queer institution, and Lily Savage was a regular compere at their cabaret nights - in fact, her solo residency lasted some eight years, a testament to O’Grady’s talent and enduring appeal.
One of the most famous stories about Paul/Lily is that one night, the police raided the venue because of reports of “drunkenness on the premises” (at a bar! Imagine!) They made a big show of wearing rubber gloves “because of HIV” and as they unexpectedly charged through the door, Savage just quipped, “Looks like we’re getting some help with the washing up tonight, boys.” She was arrested, and at the station gave Lily Savage as her name. “I want your REAL name,” barked a police officer. “Lily Veronica Mae Savage,” O'Grady replied. “They made so many arrests, but we were a stoic lot and it was business as usual the next night,” he said.
His ride to stardom was unstoppable. O’Grady was an outspoken champion of the underdog, often going on unscripted rants about oppressive conservative policies and speaking out for the poor, the sick, the queer community and especially animal rights. Even though his character was an abrasive, foul-mouthed sex worker, Savage’s appeal transcended boundaries. Grandparents would love the camp put-downs (being somewhere in the tradition of music hall acts, one imagines), and younger people would connect to her politics.
O’Grady was also a legendary drinker. It’s said that the Rolling Stones, after spending a night on the tiles with her, added her to their list of things to watch out for in the future should they like to remain in good health: “Booze, drugs and Lily Savage”. THE ROLLING STONES, A BAND THAT INCLUDES KEITH RICHARDS.
O’Grady retired the character in 2005 (claiming Lily had “seen the light, taken the veil and packed herself off to a convent in France”), but he presented dozens of high-profile TV shows, from game shows to comedies to chat shows. The caustic wit and the railing against the establishment never left, though, and if there was a human or animal in need of a voice, O’Grady was often there to step up.
In short, we lost one of the good ones and given our amazing drag community in New Orleans, I thought it was worth doffing our collective caps. Search for The Best of Lily Savage on Youtube (eg. this is a good introduction, NSFW language). Or here's Paul O'Grady in our very own New Orleans. PO
Assuming you’re American, I wouldn’t expect you to have heard of Paul O’Grady, also known by his drag queen name of Lily Savage. Long before RuPaul was a glittery twinkle in the eye of BBC programming directors, Lily Savage was an unlikely mainstay on primetime UK television. Paul O’Grady died this week aged 67, and I just felt an urge to mark his legacy. I’m going to use him/her interchangeably, as Lily was as much of a presence as Paul.
Britain has as many hang-ups about sexuality and identity as anywhere (see our current status as ‘TERF Island’), but there are some surprising examples of progressive casting in mainstream entertainment. The soap opera Coronation Street, for example, has been one of the biggest shows in the country for decades, and in the 2000s, one of the main characters was an openly transgender woman. Aside from some opening storylines establishing context, she lead a relatively normal (for soap operas) life with regular concerns, and was married to a cis man with general community support, and little outcry in the media.
Many openly gay men and women have enjoyed incredibly successful TV careers at the highest levels of celebrity - game show host Larry Grayson, actor John Inman, sports presenter Clare Balding, comedians Julian Clary and Alan Carr, Bake Off host Sandy Toksvig and broadcaster Stephen Fry to name but a few. Similarly with Lily Savage - by the late 90s and early 2000s, O’Grady was presenting (in character) game shows and chat shows with millions of viewers.
Lily Savage as a drag queen came out of the gay clubs of London in the 80s, a highly politicized time. Successive Conservative governments constantly attacked the queer community, the AIDS epidemic was aggressively fanned as gay panic by the tabloid newspapers, and queer rights were coming under scrutiny in worrying ways.
The Vauxhall Tavern in south London was, and still is, a queer institution, and Lily Savage was a regular compere at their cabaret nights - in fact, her solo residency lasted some eight years, a testament to O’Grady’s talent and enduring appeal.
One of the most famous stories about Paul/Lily is that one night, the police raided the venue because of reports of “drunkenness on the premises” (at a bar! Imagine!) They made a big show of wearing rubber gloves “because of HIV” and as they unexpectedly charged through the door, Savage just quipped, “Looks like we’re getting some help with the washing up tonight, boys.” She was arrested, and at the station gave Lily Savage as her name. “I want your REAL name,” barked a police officer. “Lily Veronica Mae Savage,” O'Grady replied. “They made so many arrests, but we were a stoic lot and it was business as usual the next night,” he said.
His ride to stardom was unstoppable. O’Grady was an outspoken champion of the underdog, often going on unscripted rants about oppressive conservative policies and speaking out for the poor, the sick, the queer community and especially animal rights. Even though his character was an abrasive, foul-mouthed sex worker, Savage’s appeal transcended boundaries. Grandparents would love the camp put-downs (being somewhere in the tradition of music hall acts, one imagines), and younger people would connect to her politics.
O’Grady was also a legendary drinker. It’s said that the Rolling Stones, after spending a night on the tiles with her, added her to their list of things to watch out for in the future should they like to remain in good health: “Booze, drugs and Lily Savage”. THE ROLLING STONES, A BAND THAT INCLUDES KEITH RICHARDS.
O’Grady retired the character in 2005 (claiming Lily had “seen the light, taken the veil and packed herself off to a convent in France”), but he presented dozens of high-profile TV shows, from game shows to comedies to chat shows. The caustic wit and the railing against the establishment never left, though, and if there was a human or animal in need of a voice, O’Grady was often there to step up.
In short, we lost one of the good ones and given our amazing drag community in New Orleans, I thought it was worth doffing our collective caps. Search for The Best of Lily Savage on Youtube (eg. this is a good introduction, NSFW language). Or here's Paul O'Grady in our very own New Orleans. PO
