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The iconic drag queen of Portland, Darcelle, passed away on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Darcelle, aka Walter W. Cole, was 92 years old and died due to natural causes.
For the uninitiated, Walter W. Cole performed as Darcelle XV for decades and was the oldest working drag performer. She was also crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest working drag performer in 2016.
News of her demise was shared by her nightclub as they said:
"The family of the club along with her cast and crew are heartbroken to announce that our beloved Darcelle (Walter W. Cole, Sr.) has died at age 92 from natural causes. We ask for privacy and patience as everyone processes and grieves in their own way and at their own pace."
They continued:
"Details of a public memorial will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. All shows at the club's showplace will go on as scheduled per Cole’s wishes. Please join us and celebrate her legacy and memory, thank you in advance for your continued support."
Walter Cole was an Army veteran and Darcelle was his alter ego
Walter Cole was born in 1930 and spent his childhood in northwest Portland. He also served in the Army and was discharged from the military in the late 1950s.
After his retirement, Cole opened a coffeehouse that became a new hip spot. Other than this, he also had a strong interest in acting, which is how his alter ego took over. Shortly after, Cole came out and announced that he was gay.
Cole's alter ego was a glamorous and witty performer who loved wearing shiny clothes and jewelry and lip-syncing to recordings.
Walter preferred she/her pronouns when performing in drag and he/him pronouns while off-stage. In an interview with The Oregan, Cole said:
"If I hadn’t admitted who I was, I’d probably be dead now. I’d be sitting on a couch retiring from … management. Not for me.”
"I am devastated" - Fans mourn world’s oldest working drag queen's demise
Several social media users mourned the demise of the "drag legend" as they took to Twitter to express their feelings.
It is also important to note that in 2020, Cole's club was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was the first location in Oregon to be nominated specifically for its significance in LGBTQ+ history. The club has been entertaining people for more than 50 years now.
Other than this, Cole also wrote an autobiography, Just Call Me Darcelle, which was released in 2011. The book describes the life of Cole, his childhood, his experience in the Army, and how he became a drag queen.
