The family of drag icon The Vivienne said they “brought glitter to life” and will miss her “for eternity” during an emotional vigil in Liverpool on Sunday night.
Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the St George’s Corridor to pay their respects to the TV star, also known as James Lee Williams. who died last week at the age of 32.
The monument was lit green to honor Vivienne’s role in The Wizard of Oz and the crowd swayed, their phone flashlights shining to a moving rendition of Someplace Over the Rainbow.
Vivienne was catapulted to fame after winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
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Reuters“As a family we are completely overwhelmed by the great love for James, The Vivienne,” the family said in a statement read by The Vivienne’s friend Bobby Musker.
The family paid tribute to a “son, brother, uncle and true icon.”
“From an early age it was evident that he was destined for the stage… he was determined to make his way in this world,” they said.
“The road was not easy, but the dream never changed and James always told us that they would make it a reality and they did.”
The family said they were “incredibly proud of everything they achieved.”
“We will miss you for an eternity and for an eternity we will all love you,” they said.
Shortly before the statement was read, Isabella, Vivienne’s young niece, took the microphone.
“Thank you for being here to celebrate my uncle,” he told the crowd. “I love you Uncle James.”
The crowd heard performances from Joey & the Scorching Tub Boys, who sang Cher’s Coronary Heart of Stone and David Bowie’s Heroes, and speeches from a host of friends and colleagues.
Danny Beard, winner of the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, called Vivienne a “truly larger than life” character who “could never be confined to the ordinary.”
They He described them as a “ray of light for the LGBT community.”
“The performances were not just acts, they were celebrations of life.” they saying.
“They taught us that it was okay to live out loud.”
The vigil was organized with the help of Sahir Home, Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity. La Vivienne was an ambassador for the charity.
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ReutersVivienne’s publicist and friend Simon Jones told the BBC: “I will remember Vivienne as a lovely, kind-hearted person and incredibly talented.
“What I liked most about The Vivienne was that it made me laugh all the time.
“There is literally no one who has made me laugh as much as Viv, whether it was at a show where I was reading to the audience… or when we were going to lunch or dinner or hanging out.
“There was always a quick one-liner and something a little wild.
“She was always so funny and I’m really going to miss that. “She brought so much love and warmth into my life.”
Presenter Holly Willoughby paid tribute to drag queen The Vivienne after an inaugural performance by the professional skaters on the ITV series Dancing On Ice on Saturday night.
The program began with a display of lifts and jumps by the figure skaters, dressed in pink, blue and yellow.
After Willoughby welcomed viewers to the new series, he added: “Before we move on, like us, many of you will have been saddened by the tragic news of Vivienne’s passing last weekend.
“They were now a big part of our show, going all the way to the final in 2023.
“They will be deeply missed and our thoughts are with Vivienne’s loved ones at this time. “It’s very sad.”
After winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, The Vivienne became the only contestant from the UK series to compete on the US series when she took part in All Stars 7 in 2022.
They became a household name through appearances on other TV shows including Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Time Takeaway, Dancing on Ice and Emmerdale.
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Vivienne’s death sparked great sadness in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.
On Friday, most of the show’s contestants attended DragCon UK, a convention for Drag Race fans.
Host RuPaul Charles paid tribute to The Vivienne during the event’s opening ceremony, saying he wanted to focus on “love.”
He said: “We are going to remember our beloved Vivienne, with love, with life, and that is what she was all about.
“She would love for them to live their lives and be free and have a lot of fun and spread it, wouldn’t she?”
Other high-profile names paying tribute included Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and singer and actress Arianna Grande.
Vivienne grew up in Colwyn Bay, on the north coast of Wales.
They attended the private Rydal Penrhos school, but left at 16 to move to Liverpool and become makeup artists.
They later went on to live and perform in Gran Canaria. At the same time as the event in Liverpool, a vigil was held on the Spanish island.
