The London drag venue where Paul O'Grady found mainstream success honoured him with a 'minute of applause' after the TV personality died at 67.
Wednesday night’s show (March 29) at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), in Vauxhall, saw Paul remembered as “one of the greatest drag artists the UK has ever seen” with minute of raucous applause for the TV star, instead of a typical minute of silence.
Paul died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening (March 28), his partner, Andre Portasio, said in a statement. He rose to fame on the nightclub circuit as the witty, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage – a name believed to have been inspired by his late mother.
READ MORE: Paul O'Grady was 'laughing and so full of life' hours before sudden death, devastated friend says
After touring the north of England with the character, he settled into a solo residency at the RVT, before transitioning to broadcasting and going on to host a number of popular television programmes. On Wednesday, RVT host Michael Twaits told a packed out audience that Paul had been “an absolute legend of the community”.
“Today we lost one of the greatest drag artists the UK has ever seen, and it is this building, this building was where it happened,” he said. “Eight years of doing solo shows… and also doing shows like tonight, introducing new talent to the LGBT+ scene. Paul O’Grady was an absolute legend of the community.”
He added: “It was around raising up the community, and when you move from a stage like this into the mainstream, when you move into breakfast f****** television… and still stay true to yourself, stay true to your queer self, and stay true to your working class roots.”
Twaits told the audience “a trailblazer and a legend has left us” before leading them in a round of applause for Paul. “Obviously a moment of silence is polite… but I don’t think a moment of silence is right. I think this is a moment to applaud, a moment to love, a moment to cheer,” he said.
Reference to Paul's time at the RVT was made earlier on Wednesday in the House of Commons, with MPs highlighting the impact of his work on the LGBT community. Sir Chris Bryant told the House: “I don’t know whether the Deputy Prime Minister ever met Lily Savage or has ever spent a night out at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, but… I can take him some time if he wants to go?”
As MPs erupted in laughter, the Labour MP added: “Her alter ego, Paul O’Grady, campaigned acerbically and hilariously for elderly people, for care workers, against oppression of every kind. Isn’t it time we in this country celebrated our naughty, hilarious drag queens and comics of every kind who inspire us to be a better and more generous nation?”
Dominic Raab, who was filling in for Rishi Sunak during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, accidently referred to Paul as “Paul Grayson”, before correcting himself and describing him as an “incredible comic”.
Tributes also came from friends, fans, charity organisations, and fellow celebrities, as well as the Queen Consort.
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