Darcelle XV, World’s Oldest Drag Queen Dies at 92

Darcelle XV, the Guinness record-breaking drag queen, passed away this year at age 92.

News of her passing was announced via Facebook by The Darcelle XV Showplace, a venue she owned in Portland, Oregon.

“The family of Darcelle XV, 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,” the post reads. “We ask for privacy and patience as everyone processes and grieves in their own way and at their own pace.”

Friends, family, and fans of Darcelle XV celebrated her life by covering the club with flowers. The street where the club is located, Northwest Davis Street, was temporarily changed to Northwest Darcelle XV Street to honor her legacy.

Darcelle XV was the stage name for Walter W. Cole, born in 1930 in Portland. He served in the U.S. Armed Forces and was honorably discharged in the 1950s. He supported his wife and two children and worked at a supermarket, and in 1967 purchased the building which would become the Darcelle XV Showplace.

Two years later Cole came out as gay and began a relationship with Roxy Neuhardt, who would go on to help him run the Showplace as a choreographer, shoe director, bookkeeper, and performer.

“Literally inseparable, Roxy and Darcelle spent nearly five decades building their business, raising funds for countless charities, caring for friends living with and dying from HIV/AIDS, making special appearances, feeding the hungry and homeless, fighting for LGBTQ rights, and providing a safe gathering place for the community,” an obituary for Neuhardt reads. “The work they have done to advance the LGBTQ profile in Portland cannot be overstated.”

Darcelle XV was officially nominated as the oldest drag queen performer in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2016. The Darcelle XV Showplace is also the longest-running drag show venue on the West Coast and was certified in the national historic registry in June 2020. It is the first LGBTQ establishment in Oregon to be given this status.

Photo Credit: @nypost on Twitter