Pepper LaBeija
Pepper LaBeija | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 5, 1948 The Bronx,New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 2003(aged 54) Manhattan,New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Drag queen, fashion designer |
Pepper LaBeija(November 5, 1948 – May 14, 2003) was an Americandrag queenand fashion designer. She was known as "the last remaining queen of theHarlem drag balls".
Early life and career
[edit]Born inThe Bronxin 1948, Pepper LaBeija first arrived on New York city's gay ballroom scene in the late-1960s and eventually became head of theHouse of LaBeijain 1981.[1]
While not identifying as a woman, LaBeija hadbreast implantsand preferred the feminine pronounshe.[1][2]LaBeija remained the head of the house (known as "the Mother" ) until her death in 2003. As the head of the House, LaBeija spoke openly about the importance of providing support and guidance to young gay men arriving on the scene after being alienated from their families.
LaBeija was known for Egyptian-inspired runway performances and won approximately 250 ballroom trophies over the course of her career.[3]Outside of performing, Labeija earned a living producing drag balls and teaching modeling.[2]
Later years and death
[edit]LaBeija and her companion Pamela Jackson had a daughter together, and LaBeija devoted much of her time to her family, raising her daughter and stepson. In 1992, Pamela Jackson died. As LaBeija's health declined, her children lived with their maternal grandmother.[4]
LaBeija suffered fromdiabetes mellitus type 2,which resulted in both her feet being amputated. She was largely bedridden for the last ten years of her life. On May 14, 2003, LaBeija died of a heart attack atRoosevelt HospitalinManhattanat the age of 54.[1]
In popular culture
[edit]LaBeija is best known for her appearances in the documentary filmsParis Is Burning(1990) andHow Do I Look?(2006).[5]
LaBeija also made appearances onThe Joan Rivers Show(1991),TV Transvestites(1982), andThe Queen(1968).[6]
Malcolm McLarenquoted LaBeija in a 1989 song and music video "Deep in Vogue",a tribute to the New York gay balls of the 1980s, runway competitions that involved dance, fashion, and attitude.[7]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^abcMartin, Douglas (May 26, 2003)."Pepper LaBeija, Queen of Harlem Drag Balls, Is Dead at 53".The New York Times.
- ^ab"Pepper LaBeija, 53; Queen of Drag Ball Scene in Harlem".Los Angeles Times.May 29, 2003.RetrievedMarch 11,2015.
- ^Doonan, Simon (June 16, 2003)."Pater Is Burning! Rad Dads in Drag".observer.com.RetrievedMarch 11,2015.
- ^Lawrence, Tim (November 21, 2022)."Listen, and You Will Hear all the Houses That Walked There Before: A History of Drag Balls, Houses and the Culture of Voguing".academia.edu.Academia EDU.RetrievedDecember 2,2022.
LaBeija recalled later, while her mother doggedly stuck to calling her by her birth name, William Jackson.
- ^Jones, William (April 1, 1991)."Burning Voices: Redefining" Realness "in Paris is Burning".documentary.org.documentary.RetrievedDecember 2,2022.
As Dorian Corey, another legend, explains, Liz Taylor is famous. So is Pepper Labeija.
- ^Rudolph, Christopher (November 15, 2019)."Paris Is Burning Headed To Criterion Collection With New Footage Galore".logotv.com.logo tv.RetrievedDecember 2,2022.
It will even include the 1991 episode of The Joan Rivers Show featuring Livingston with ball community members Dorian Corey, Pepper LaBeija,Freddie Pendavis,and Willi Ninja!
- ^Lawrence, Tim (July 16, 2013)."Listen, and You Will Hear all the Houses that Walked There Before: A History of Drag Balls, Houses and the Culture of Voguing. London: Soul Jazz, 2011".timlawrence.info.RetrievedDecember 2,2022.
... in 1989 when Willi Ninja appeared on Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra's Deep in Vogue... Drag ball and voguing culture made its screen breakthrough in 1990 when Livingston's movie, titled Paris Is Burning after the 1986 ball staged by Paris Dupree and the House of Dupree, began to pick up awards at film festivals. Shot between 1986 and 1989, the documentary provided a rich cultural insight into the previously clandestine culture of black and Latin drag balls through its mix of ballroom footage, everyday-life material shot at the piers, and interviews with Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Angie Xtravaganza and others.
External links
[edit]- Pepper LaBeijaatIMDb
- Sally's Hideaway historyArchivedApril 1, 2007, at theWayback Machine
| International | |
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| National | |
  | This article about an American entertainer is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
- 1948 births
- 2003 deaths
- 20th-century African-American people
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century African-American people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- African-American drag queens
- African-American fashion designers
- African-American LGBTQ people
- American fashion designers
- American amputees
- American bisexual artists
- American bisexual entertainers
- American drag queens
- Drag performers from New York City
- House of LaBeija
- LGBTQ fashion designers
- LGBTQ people from New York (state)
- LGBTQ people with disabilities
- People from the Bronx
- American entertainer stubs