Liverpool city center came to a standstill on Sunday evening as hundreds of people gathered on the steps of St. George’s Hall to pay their respects to the much-loved TV star James Lee Williams, better known as drag icon, The Vivienne. Amid the sorrowful tears, emotional speeches and heartfelt performances, attendees let go of green balloons in honor of The Vivienne who performed as the Wicked Witch of the West in a Wizard of Oz production in 2024. The landmark lit up in green, a color that could be identified by The Vivienne’s role in the iconic movie, whilst crowds swayed with their phone torches shining to a moving rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.
As a family statement, read by The Vivienne’s close friend Bobby Musker, revealed the family’s deep gratitude for the outpouring of sympathy and affection they had received, it was clear that The Vivienne was true to form throughout all of life’s testing moments. The family paid tribute to a “son, brother, uncle and true icon” who was driven to pursue the art of drag from a young age. The Vivienne’s passion for performing was unwavering throughout their life, “the dream never, ever changed and James would always tell us that they would make it happen and they did.”
Attendees heard speeches from a host of friends and colleagues. Danny Beard, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series four, described the much-loved icon as “a truly larger than life” character who could “never be confined by the ordinary.” The Vivienne, who catapulted to fame in 2019 by winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, became an ambassador of the charity, Sahir House, Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity.
The Vivienne’s death has led to an outpouring of grief from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, with DragCon UK being attended by most of the show’s contestants. Host RuPaul Charles paid tribute to The Vivienne during the opening ceremony of the event, while other high profile names, including Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and singer and actor Arianna Grande, paid their respects
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