Danny La Rue,OBE(bornDaniel Patrick Carroll,26 July 1927 – 31 May 2009) was an Irish-born, English singer and entertainer, best known for his on-stagedrag persona.He performed in drag and also as himself in theatrical productions, television shows and film.
Danny La Rue | |
|---|---|
 La Rue in his dressing room at thePrince of Wales Theatrein London in 1975 | |
| Born | Daniel Patrick Carroll 26 July 1927 |
| Died | 31 May 2009(aged 81) Tunbridge Wells,Kent,England |
| Resting place | St Mary's Catholic Cemetery,Kensal Green,London,England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1944–2007 |
| Partner | Jack Hanson (1947–1984) |
Early life
editBorn Daniel Patrick Carroll inCork City,[2]Ireland, in 1927, La Rue was the youngest of five siblings. The family moved to England when he was six and he was brought up at Earnshaw Street inCovent Garden,Central London.When the family home was destroyed duringthe Blitz,his mother, a seamstress, moved her children toKennford,aDevonvillage where young Daniel developed an interest in dramatics. "There weren't enough girls so I got the pick of the roles... MyJulietwas very convincing ", La Rue recalled.[3]
He served in theRoyal Navyas a young man following in his father's footsteps, and for a time worked delivering groceries. He became known as afemale impersonator,or "comic in a frock" as he preferred to be called, in the United Kingdom and was featured in theatre productions, and in film, television and records.
Career
editAmong his celebrity impersonations wereElizabeth Taylor,Zsa Zsa Gabor,Judy Garland,Margot Fonteyn,Marlene DietrichandMargaret Thatcher.At one point he had his own nightclub inHanover Square,and also performed on London'sWest End.[citation needed]In the 1960s, he was among Britain's highest-paid entertainers. In the 1970s, he owned the Swan, a noted inn atStreatleyon theRiver Thames.
In 1982 he played Dolly Levi in the musicalHello, Dolly!.He also has the distinction of being the only man to take over a woman's role in theWest End theatrewhen he replacedAvis BunnageinOh, What a Lovely War! [3]and he was until his death still a regular performer in traditional Christmaspantomimeshows in Britain.
In 1968 his version of "On Mother Kelly's Doorstep" reached number 33 in the UK singles chart; La Rue later adopted the song as his theme tune.[4]
He had a starring role in the filmOur Miss Fredin 1972, and also appeared inEvery Day's a Holiday,TheFrankie HowerdShow,Twiggs,DecidedlyDusty,Entertainment Express,Blackpool Bonanzaand the BBC'sPlay of the Monthin a production ofCharley's Aunt(1969). He made a guest appearance as himself in theMr. Beanepisode "Mr. Bean in Room 426"in 1993.
La Rue's final major public appearance was inHello Danny,a biographical show performed at the "Benidorm Palace", which opened on 11 November 2007. The part of the young La Rue was played by Jerry Lane, who also co-created and directed. La Rue appeared at the start of the show and then in an interview on stage in part of the second half. He also performed a number of songs.
Personal life
editLa Rue would often perform parts of his show in men's clothes, and was often seen out of costume on television. In later life, he was more candid about his private life, including his homosexuality. La Rue lived with his manager and life partner of 37 years, Jack Hanson, until Hanson's death in 1984.[5][3]
In 1970, La Rue bought The Swan Inn at Streatley in Berkshire.[6]He was later forced by circumstances to sell it.
In the 1970s, La Rue spent more than £1 million on the purchase and restoration of a country house hotel,Walton Hall,in Warwickshire, and signed it over in 1983, as he could not manage it and his career, to a pair of Canadiancon men.[7]La Rue had given control of the hotel to the two Canadians with a promise of further investment with the retention of La Rue's name on the hotel itself. This eventually led to a police investigation where La Rue was cleared of any suspicion but discovered he had lost more than £1 million.[8]The con men had bankrupted La Rue but he insisted on continuing to work to pay off the debts incurred rather than retire.[7]
La Rue owned a silver 1971Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 3.5,that sold for £33,750 at an auction in 2018.[9]
Illness and death
editLa Rue suffered a mildstrokein January 2006 while in Spain on holiday: as a result, his final pantomime and all subsequent performances were cancelled. He had been suffering fromprostate cancerfor many years. He had several further strokes and developedthroat cancer.
He died shortly before midnight on 31 May 2009 at the age of 81.[10][8]His friend and costume designer, Annie Galbraith, was with him (he was living at her home inTunbridge Wells) when he died.[11]La Rue was laid to rest with his partner, Jack Hanson, inSt Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green,west London.
Accolades
editHe was appointedOBEin the 2002Queen'sBirthday Honours List.La Rue later stated in an interview that this was "the proudest day of his life".[12]Other accolades includedRoyal Variety Performanceappearances in 1969, 1972 and 1978, Variety Club of Great Britain Showbiz Personality of the Year (1969), Theatre Personality of the Year (1970), Entertainer of the Decade (1979) and the Brinsworth Award from theEABFfor his outstanding contribution to the entertainment profession and the community.[13]In 1987, he was King Rat of the showbusiness charity theGrand Order of Water Rats.
La Rue was the subject of a specially extended edition ofThis Is Your Lifein 1984 when he was surprised byEamonn Andrewsat the curtain call ofHello, Dolly!at London'sPrince of Wales Theatre.[citation needed]
He has also been described as "the grande dame of drag".[14]
Selected filmography
edit- Our Miss Fred(1972)
- Come Spy with Me(TV film) (1977)
- The Good Old Days(Christmas Eve, 1983)
- Mr. Beanepisode, "Mr. Bean in Room 426"(1993)
Bibliography
edit- La Rue, Danny, Elson Howard (1987)From Drags to Riches: my autobiography,Harmondsworth: Viking,ISBN0-670-81557-8
- Underwood, Peter (1974)Life's a drag: Danny la Rue & the drag scene,London: Frewin,ISBN0-85632-081-1
- Baker, Roger (1968)Drag: A History of female impersonation on the stage,Triton:ISBN0-363-00014-3
See also
edit- Danny the Street,comic book character named after Danny La Rue ( "la rue" inFrenchtranslates into English as "the street" )
References
edit- ^Buckley, Dan (26 July 2017)."Reminiscing on encounter with Cork-born entertainer Danny la Rue".Irish Examiner.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^Roche, Barry (2 June 2009)."Cork-born Danny La Rue dies at 81".The Irish Times.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^abc"Obituary | Danny La Rue".The Daily Telegraph.1 June 2009.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^Rice, Tim;Rice, Jonathan;Gambaccini, Paul(1995).The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles(10th ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 181.ISBN0-85112-633-2.
- ^"A Brief Biography".dannylarue.Archived fromthe originalon 4 February 2012.
- ^Bunce, Alan (21 July 2014)."Pick of the Past 1970: Danny La Rue buys The Swan at Streatley".BerkshireLive.Reach plc.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^abMark Turnbull (director) (2010).The Unforgettable Danny La Rue(TV movie).
- ^abSingh, Anita (2 June 2009)."Danny La Rue dies aged 81".The Daily Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 5 June 2009.
- ^"1971 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 3.5 | Lot Number: 564".Iconic Auctioneers.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^Gibbons, Duncan (2 June 2009)."Coventry Theatre favourite Danny La Rue dies, 81".CoventryLive.Reach plc.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^"Stage legend La Rue dies at 81".BBC News.1 June 2009.Retrieved25 February2025.
- ^"QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST: The first dame; DANNY LA RUE OBE.(News)".Highbeam. Archived fromthe originalon 25 October 2012.Retrieved14 December2012.
- ^"Danny La Rue | Entertainer | Died in 2009".tribute.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 27 June 2009.
- ^Simpson, Neil (2008).Paul O'Grady: The Biography.John Blake Publishing.p. 106.ISBN978-1844544172.
External links
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