WOTCHA MATES!

Happy birthday for tomorrow (Weds 26th) to the one and only Danny La Rue who is 79!

Danny La Rue - born Daniel Carroll in Cork - always seemed to be on television when I was growing up, either in variety shows like Sunday Night At The London Palladium or The Good Old Days and chat shows etc. He always seemed to be on in the West End in big expensive pantomimes and was mentioned in newspapers frequently as his club in Hanover Square was an in-spot for celebs. My Ma was a huge fan - well he *was* Irish after all - and even had a few of his albums. One in particular I remember was called LIVE AT DANNY LA RUE'S, a recording of one of the late night floor shows at his club. Now why did I always get the jokes riddled with innuendo? Had I caught on early thanks to the likes of the CARRY ON films or was there a deeper meaning to my enjoyment? I'd like to think so.

I remember me and my Ma went to see his show DANNY AT THE PALACE at - no, honest - the Palace Theatre where it ran an astonishing two years in the early 1970s and have two abiding memories: the sheer glamour of it all with outlandish frocks - all trains and feathers - and that the jokes were even ruder - and I still got 'em. Obviously bred in the bone. Danny La Rue ruled that stage.. holding the audience like a true star and managed to bring the house down with a look. He kinda disappeared off the tv in the late 70s when his shtick of poking fun at Dietrich, Bassey etc. appeared hackneyed but never stopped touring - he even appeared as Dolly in HELLO DOLLY in the west end in the 1980s.

He was working constantly up until a heart attack in March this year. I hope he's ok. His appeal was that he always 'guyed' the image, making a huge entrance in a flowing beaded gown flashing his legs and saying in a deep voice "Wotcha mates" - always the first one to reveal he was a 'cock in a frock'.

A real star and a gay legend.