Michelle DuBarry
{{Short description|Canadian drag queen (born 1931)}}
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{{Infobox dancer
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Michelle DuBarry
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| birth_name = Russell Alldread
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1931|11|23}}
| birth_place = Bowmanville, Ontario
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| nationality = Canadian
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| occupation = Drag queen
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| former_groups = Phase One
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Michelle DuBarry is the stage name of Russell Alldread (born November 23, 1931), a Canadian drag queen,[http://news.nationalpost.com/posted-toronto/on-the-town-with-michelle-dubarry "On the Town with Michelle DuBarry"]. National Post, November 24, 2011. who was awarded the title of the World's Oldest Performing Drag Queen by the Guinness World Records in 2015.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/michelle-dubarry-named-worlds-oldest-performing-drag-artist-a6755036.html "Michelle DuBarry named world's oldest performing drag artist"]. The Independent, November 30, 2015.[http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/12/03/guinness-names-toronto-resident-worlds-oldest-performing-drag-queen "Guinness Names Toronto Resident 'World's Oldest Performing Drag Queen'"]. The Advocate, December 3, 2015. However, the distinction was disputed by another performer, who was subsequently awarded the title in 2016.{{Cite web|last=Viegas|first=Mallieka|date=2019-06-26|title=One of the World's Oldest Drag Queens Shares Memories of Life in Toronto in the 1950s|url=https://fashionmagazine.com/culture/michelle-dubarry-oldest-drag-queen-canada/|access-date=2021-08-28|website=FASHION Magazine|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Isola|first=Laurie|date=2016-08-17|title=Darcelle Crowned World's 'Oldest Drag Queen Performer' By Guinness|url=https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/darcelle-worlds-oldest-drag-queen-performer-guinness/|access-date=2021-08-28|website=OPB|language=en}}
Background
Born in Bowmanville, Ontario in 1931, Alldread was a performer in childhood, winning an award for his singing at the Port Hope Music Festival in 1939.[http://www.dailyxtra.com/toronto/michelle-dubarry-56208 "Michelle DuBarry: Was, and is, a lady"]. Daily Xtra, November 28, 2001. Around the same time, he had his first experience dressing in drag, when his cousins dressed him in a strapless gown for a photo shoot. He continued to be involved in theatre until moving to Toronto at age 18.
He worked for General Motors and began having relationships with men, although he met and married a woman in 1957.
Performing career
After divorcing from his wife in 1961, Alldread began performing in drag shows, initially under the name Anita Modé. He adopted the name Michelle DuBarry in 1969 upon joining the Phase One drag troupe, taking his new performing surname from the 1943 film Du Barry Was a Lady. When his colleagues in Phase One later moved to Vancouver, DuBarry formed a new trio, The Great Impostors, with Tammy Autumn and Rusty Ryan.
In his day job, Alldread worked as a women's shoe salesman.
As DuBarry, he has been involved in the Trillium Monarchist Society and the Expressions Club, and has held the title of Empress of Toronto in the Imperial Court System. He continued to perform as a drag queen in Toronto,[http://globalnews.ca/news/2370315/toronto-drag-queen-michelle-dubarry-honoured-with-guinness-world-record/ "Toronto drag queen Michelle DuBarry honoured with Guinness World Record"]. Global News, December 1, 2015. including bar shows and charity fundraisers for causes such as HIV/AIDS awareness and Gilda's Club."Marching on in fine fashion; Popular drag queen chosen to head parade in recognition of her leadership, charity work". Toronto Star, June 14, 2007. DuBarry served as grand marshal of Toronto's Pride parade in 2007.
DuBarry's signature number as a performer is Nancy LaMott's "We Can Be Kind".[http://www.dailyxtra.com/toronto/news-and-ideas/news/fourscore-and-dubarry-4540 "Fourscore and DuBarry"]. Daily Xtra, November 17, 2011.[https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/11/29/torontos-oldest-drag-queen-takes-world-record.html "Toronto’s oldest drag queen takes world record"]. Toronto Star, November 29, 2015.
Following the announcement of DuBarry's Guinness distinction, some residents of Portland, Oregon argued that the title should instead be awarded to Darcelle XV, who is a year older than Alldread.[http://popgoesthenews.com/2015/11/25/guinness-world-records-names-torontos-michelle-dubarry-worlds-oldest-drag-queen/ "Guinness World Records names Toronto’s Michelle DuBarry oldest drag queen"]. Pop Goes the News, November 25, 2015. Darcelle was awarded the title by Guinness on August 15, 2016.[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/118027-oldest-drag-queen "Oldest drag queen"]. Guinness World Records, August 15, 2016.
In 2020 DuBarry appeared as a guest in the seventh episode of the first season of Canada's Drag Race, appearing as a judge in the Miss Loose Jaw Pageant, that week's maxi challenge.{{Cite web|last=Manzocco|first=Natalia|date=2020-06-15|title=Canada's Drag Race announces celeb guests|url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/news-features/canadas-drag-race-guests|access-date=2020-12-13|website=NOW Magazine}}{{Cite web|last=Alter|first=Rebecca|date=2020-08-31|title=Canada's Drag Race Recap: Your Lace Line Looks Like Barf|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/canadas-drag-race-recap-season-1-episode-7-miss-loose-jaw.html|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}
In 2021, CBC Radio One's The Doc Project aired a documentary feature on DuBarry, suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated shutdown of nearly all drag-related venues and events in 2020, had dampened Alldread's enthusiasm for going out as Michelle anymore.Jeffrey Vallis, [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/docproject/after-a-year-of-pandemic-isolation-have-we-seen-the-last-of-canadian-drag-legend-michelle-dubarry-1.6039962 "After a year of pandemic isolation, have we seen the last of Canadian drag legend Michelle DuBarry?"]. The Doc Project, May 28, 2021. In 2022, after beginning to show some symptoms of dementia, Alldread moved into a long-term care home, and a sale of some of his drag outfits and jewellery was staged at The 519 in April.Beth Macdonell, [https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/world-s-once-oldest-drag-queen-performer-selling-costume-collection-in-toronto-1.5877615 "World's once 'oldest drag queen performer' selling costume collection in Toronto"]. CTV News Toronto, April 26, 2022.
References
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External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1422891/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Michelle DuBarry] on the Internet Movie Database
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Category:People from Clarington
Category:20th-century Canadian LGBTQ people