In my first career I had the opportunity to meet many famous people including Danny la Rue, who died yesterday having suffered from prostate cancer.
Danny la Rue was no modern 'celeb'. He had worked his way up the showbiz ladder and he was a stunning example of a true gentleman, a total professional and a fine example of a real showman. Rather a shy man he never used his fame and his manners were impeccable. I vividly remember the first time I saw one of his shows (I wasn't that keen to go because I thought it would be just a drag show), but I was enthralled and backstage I made some remark about his transformation. His response was, "Hey I'm the same man but in a frock," and his 'frocks' were utterly divine. Danny may you rest in peace with the knowledge that you gave so much pleasure to millions of people.
Posts
12 comments:
I don't know what your first career was but I do remember you also met Patrick McGoohan.
My mother will be feeling it a bit because her year of birth was also 1927. A friend of the same age said to her, you know what, we're just waiting to die.
He was the ultimate professional.
I see you haven't yet mastered vimeo.com
John
His club in London was fashionable for " after-hours" drinks before night-clubs really became fashionable.
I used to see him now and again but never got up the courage to speak to him.
My first career was hotel management John and I was lucky to be one of 3 females in a major British hotel company at the time. I met Danny la Rue at my first management job (after a three year intense training) when he used to stay at the Grosvenor in London. Many artists stayed there but Danny was always a pleasure to talk to after his shows.
Yes I did meet Patrick many times as I did part of my training at the Grand Atlantic, Weston Super Mare, Somerset. It had a famous theatre back in the late 60s and he was the star 'turn' that year. A charming man with so many tales to tell.
Thanks for your comments Sb! (I slapped on the old tan accelorator! ;-)) Did you go away? Hope you enjoyed your weekend :-) Tp
Didn't manage and had to postpone my away days TP because I had a problem with my eye. It's healing fine now but 4 days without seeing just lets you know how folk who are permanently blind have to manage. Very humbling indeed.
I only went to his club once Brownlie when he gave me complimentary tickets. That's the first time I ever saw him as an impersonator and he was superb. He was a very talented man.
Luckily I had to talk to him as my job was night manager in those days (always the youngest got the worst shift) but I loved it. People like Elaine Stricht had penthouses there and would chat when they got back from the theatre. Danny would stay when he needed a 'bolthole' as he used to say.
John I understand what your Mum thinks on occasion. The older I get I fleetingly think in a similar vein.
No I haven't mastered vimeo but I shall try this week. You can be my assessor :)
Well said, Rosa, I was blind at one point after a detached retina and was a very lucky chappie to get very well sorted.
A period of blindness gave me a completely different perspective, so to speak.
D la R was real entertainer and showman who knew the business through and through.
Not many of that old school left now.
I could never understand the delight the folks of the UK took in acts like this.
My wife dragged me to see DLR a few years ago in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. I was entertained and very impressed by Danny's work ethic. He recounted how in the early 1970's the Labour Party conference had had to be cut short because Danny's show was doublebooked to start at the same time as the conference was supposed to finish. His importance then was in contrast to our much-smaller audience of only 10 or 12 (who he was able to treat like friends I suppose). But we got the same grandness of show and the same warmth of performance as he had presented thirty years earlier. I doubt I'll be doing the same after thirty years in my job... (Rest, Peacefully.)
Mek that's a lovely recollection. I also saw him some years later at the casino in Southport I think where the audience was much smaller than in London and as you say, his performance was just as articulate as it had been for the bigger audience.
He used to say he was never offensive and I certainly didn't think he was. Risque perhaps at times though ;) Lovely man and we'll never see the likes of him again. Back in the 70s his frocks cost around £2000 if I remember. Of course they all had to be made specially for him.
Jings Merkin, you certainly are a lucky chap. Speed is essential with that and not many people realise that. Glad to hear you're fine now.
I'm very lucky here with excellent eye specialists not far away. Just I was silly thinking I should go through this charade called NHS 24 but I'm going to write to Nicola Sturgeon about it today. This insistence that only a doctor can refer someone to a hospital is a nonsense.
Post a Comment