When Paul O’Grady died on Wednesday at the age of 67, tributes poured in from everywhere, from writers, entertainers, politicians and anyone affected by his life and work.
Born to a working-class Irish family in Wirral, O’Grady was a care worker before making a name for himself on the London gay scene in the 1980s with his drag persona, Lily Savage. In the years after, O’Grady became a household name, known for his political and animal rights activism as well as his warmth and quick wit.
Here, five readers share their memories and tributes.
‘He gave my mum this tip for bags under her eyes: use Preparation H’
My mum was very supportive of me. It was 1987 and I said: “You need to come and see what I get up to on a Sunday afternoon.” I took her to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. She was a diminutive lady, so when we went in she hung on to me – this was new territory to her – and all she could see was 500 gay men crammed in to a very small place to see Lily Savage. She had no idea what was going on.
She absolutely loved it. When Paul finished he came to the front and started talking to her. They got on so well. He gave my mum this tip for bags under her eyes: use Preparation H. My mum used it for the rest of her life. We came back to the tavern to see Lily a few more times. My mum became a massive fan.
The impact he had on me was: be you. Don’t take any crap from people that tell you that you can’t be you. Jeff Davies, 62, education charity worker
‘He was a thoroughly decent man’
I met him once while working on a comedy talent show that was recording in Edinburgh. After the show, Paul, the compere, ushered me and my brother into the post-show drinks, whether we were entitled to be there or not. I’ve not had that experience with any other celebrity. He was a thoroughly decent man. Peter Wrench, London, freelance TV camera operator
‘There is no way I would have done drag if Lily Savage hadn’t existed’
I grew up in Buxton, a small, conservative market town. The first time I saw drag, I was four or five and Lily Savage was hosting The Big Breakfast. I’ve gone on to do drag myself for the past 12 years.
There is no way I would have done it if Lily Savage hadn’t existed. She was fierce, fearless and brave in a way that I don’t think I could be at the time.
Out of drag, Paul influenced me, too. When the student riots occurred, I saw lots of really good friends who had got swept up in it having their lives ruined. I’ll always remember that the one voice who was basically saying “what they did was great” was Paul O’Grady.
I think there’s a real sanitisation in the way Paul’s legacy has been described. His legacy was being a drag queen socialist on television. I think it’s really important that we memorialise him accurately.
I struggle to find the words to explain how much Lily did for us drag queens. She changed this country. She changed the world. Marilyn, 30, drag queen
‘He could have easily made a career being a serious actor’
Not only was Paul an incredibly kind, funny and generous man, he was also a very fine actor. I first met him when he appeared alongside me on The Bill and I just loved him. I thought he was a great guy; everyone did. He could have easily made a career being a serious actor if he wanted to.
He was playing Roxanne, a [character described as a] transvestite prostitute, which back in the late 1980s was pretty groundbreaking on a fairly serious drama. His performance was brave and touching. It was a breakthrough moment for him.
I met him lots of times after that and he just always made you feel better. Trudie Goodwin, 71, actor who played June Ackland in The Bill
‘He seemed a lovely person with no airs and graces’
In the early 00s, I regularly took an early morning walk with my dog. I used to occasionally meet another walker with his two dogs. We’d chat about this and that.
I’m not a telly watcher, so I did not have a clue that the dog walker was Paul O’Grady, although he seemed vaguely familiar to me. After one of our pleasant encounters, I described him to my son who was visiting. “Lily Savage!” he said. “Oh yes, of course I’ve heard of her!” I said. He seemed like a lovely person with no airs and graces. Teresa Bergin, 67, Cheshire
