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Dateline: 7th June, 2009
Danny La Rue (1927 - 2009) Danny La Rue, who died of prostate cancer on 31st May at the age of 81, was, he insisted, a female impersonator - or a "bloke in a frock" - and not a drag queen. He believed his act was respectful to women. Born in Cork, he was brought up in Soho but moved to Kent when the family home was destroyed during the Blitz. After a short career in the Navy he moved into showbusiness and, by the sixties, was one of the highest paid entertainers in Britain. Most of his work was on TV and in variety, but he did make a number of theatrical appearances, especially in panto, although he was a big hit as Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly! in 1982. He took over from Avis Bunnage Oh What a Lovely War! and was so convincing as a woman in Charley's Aunt that one critic commneted that most of the humour was lost. He also appeared in the BBC's Play of the Month. He received the OBE in the 2002 Birthday Honours list.
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