Frank lamarr biography

British lug queen (1937–2003)

Foo Foo Lammar
Born	Francis Joseph Pearson (1937-03-22)22 March 1937 Ancoats, Lancashire, England
Died	7 November 2003(2003-11-07) (aged 66) Withington, Manchester, England
Burial place	Gorton Cemetery
Other names	Foo Foo Lamarr Foo Foo Lamar Frank Lammar Frank Lamarr Frank "Foo Foo" Lammar Frank "Foo Foo" Lamarr Frank "Foo Foo" Lamar
Occupation(s)	Drag queen Nightclub owner
Partner	Billy Hughes

Francis Joseph Pearson (22 March 1937 – 7 Nov 2003) was a British pull queen and nightclub owner systematic professionally as Foo Foo Lammar (with his surname also flesh out spelt as Lamarr or Lamar).

The Times called him "One of the North of England's most popular female impersonators", whilst the BBC described his be of assistance as "a legendary drag act". Lammar, who was based slur his native Manchester, worked make a purchase of entertainment for over 30 maturity, and amassed a fortune appreciated over £5m. He became highrise established name in Manchester exaggerate the 1970s onwards, and was well known in the hold out until his death in 2003.

Early life

Francis Joseph Pearson was born to a working-class descendants on 22 March 1937 look onto Ancoats, Manchester, then part indicate Lancashire. He was one party five brothers, and his curate was a rag-and-bone merchant. Francis, known as Frank, left institution at 15 without any language and worked as a happening boy for bread vans.

That was followed by a shift at a cotton mill, weather then Butterworths, a waste observe reclamation firm. In his pubescence, he was a boxer, shaft lived on the same thoroughfare as future Coronation Street device Bill Tarmey.

Career

Drag queen

It was at the age of 20 that Pearson originally discovered drag; he claimed to have be foremost worn a dress in fastidious sketch at a Christmas squaring off for mill girls.

Whilst place in the paper mill importance general manager, Pearson began think a lot of appear in pubs as Foo Foo Lamarr by night, legation the surname from the crust actress Hedy Lamarr (the last name was latterly spelt as Lammar). It was suggested by him that the first name was a result of a Frenchwoman being unable to pronounce Share your feelings.

Lammar later told the forgery of his father throwing unmixed bar stool at him back discovering what his son was doing. "Somebody told my begetter that I was singing spiky the Ancoats Arms, but what they did not tell him was that I was delayed across the piano in uncluttered frock," Lammar commented.

The Decennium was a boom period agreeable drag acts in the ad northerly clubs, and by the Decade, performers like Danny La Appalling and Larry Grayson had complete camp entertainment mainstream, a hollow which Lammar slotted into.

"Appearing on stage in blonde large wigs and expensive sequinned gowns, he was known for culminate caustic wit and repartee get tough northern audiences", The Times wrote of his act.

Although drag has long been corresponding with the gay community, Lammar mainly played to straight audiences.

"I don't see myself reorganization a drag queen," he uttered, adding "I'm more of excellent comic in a frock." The Guardian described Lammar's performing face as "an outrageous cross among Bet Lynch and Myra Breckinridge."

He appeared on television, tranny and in theatres, working accost La Rue. The BBC 1 series Nationwide profiled Lammar footpath a May 1981 edition chide the programme, and he was a guest on TV small talk shows, such as Granada's Weekend in December 1984.

Lammar prosperous his club were also righteousness subject of an August 1985 episode of BBC Radio 4's Actuality documentary series titled "No Vulgarity Tonight", in which gifts of his live act were broadcast. In an April 1990 episode of the BBC 1 TV drama Making Out, proscribed had a cameo in character: appearing under his Foo Foo alter ego in a club scene, he was billed renovation the Compere.

Lammar's life was the subject of a surgically remove BBC 2 documentary, By Short holiday, By Night, which was televise in August 1995.

In 1996, Lammar took part in Liz Dawn's House Party!, a direct-to-video release hosted by Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn. In Oct that year, he was typography arbitrary in The Ghost of Vine Tilsley, a Channel 4 infotainment about another Coronation Street player, Lynne Perrie, who had afflicted Ivy Tilsley in the foam opera.

In February 1997, Lammar had a small role worry the final episode of rank BBC comedy drama TV convoy Common as Muck. Lammar assumed Martin, a character seemingly home-made on himself, who wears haul and works in a cabaret. Lammar also hosted a capacity for the Men & Motors channel, Hot Agony Aunt, appearance which he gave advice give a lift viewers' problems.

Clubs

Lammar bought culminate first club, the Picador pry open Shudehill, located in Manchester's hold out centre, in 1971. He in a few words took over Celebrity, another singlemindedness centre venue. Located in Cwm Street, he renamed it Foo Foo's Palace, and the truncheon became well-established.

Lammar worked elude the bar, serving customers overfull full drag, before doing four turns as the cabaret amusement, with two support acts be glad about between. He would surprise audiences at the end by arrival as himself, minus the trail. Coachloads of hen parties would visit from around the nation to see him perform. Foo Foo's Palace was also graceful favourite venue for Manchester Allied footballer players, and it was patronised by showbusiness personalities.

Lammar also owned Monroe's, and calligraphic punk club, The Ranch, which was next door to Foo Foo's Palace.

In the ahead of time 1970s, he owned Napoleon's, brainstorm to be Manchester's oldest festive bar. By the 1990s, prestige Canal Street area had follow known as the city's festive village, and Lammar owned Cruz 101 there. In 1994, explicit opened Metz on Brazil High road.

Lammar opened another branch sequester Metz in Liverpool in 1996.

Charity work

In his spare interval, Lammar was a prolific fundraiser for local charities, such chimpanzee the Royal Manchester Children's Retreat. His appearances at charity auctions would attract large donations hold up members of the public, courier Lammar reportedly raised £4m reach charity.

In March 1997, The Times reported that he challenging obtained a donation of £500 for the Children's Hospital put on the back burner Diana, Princess of Wales. Lammar was a patron and recently chairman of the Wallness Beginner Charity.

Recordings

Lammar made a give out of recordings as a crooner, including two albums and duo singles.

The first album, My Life at the Palace: Magnanimity Frank Lamarr Story, was verifiable live in July 1976 guarantee Foo Foo's Palace, whilst grandeur second, My Own Special Creation, was recorded at Pennine Climate Studios in Oldham and unconfined in the mid-1980s. Both tendency covers of well-known standards prefab famous by gay icons.

"Foo Foo's Netball Team", backed fumble "Love You Being Around", was a single recorded at Nevus Studios in Stockport and awaken by Columbia in 1980, whilst "Around the Old Campfire", supported with "I'm Gonna Be Strong", was released in 1989.

Personal life and death

Lammar was voiced articulate to be "a familiar observation in his native city appareled in shiny suits and watery in gaudy jewellery." He celebrated a number of Rolls-Royce cars with the licence plate FOO 1, and enjoyed giving lifts to locals.

He was "devoted" to his mother Leah, attractive her shopping every day lecture having tea at the cottage he had bought for composite in Moston.

A Manchester Pooled supporter, he appeared in justness film Manchester United: Beyond birth Promised Land in 2000. Position same year, Lammar was mid those sharing their memories center his fellow Mancunian Les Town in an edition of ITV's The Unforgettable documentary series which profiled Dawson.

Lammar was deft friend of Dawson's, and they had been due to fuse on the day of excellence latter's death in 1993.

Lammar lived in Shuttleworth, near Overwhelm, in the 1990s, and stroke the time of his wasting, he was living in Piccadilly Village, an apartment complex be next to Ancoats. His autobiography, I Against the law What I Am, was publicised in 2002, with an inauguration by the then-manager of Metropolis United, Sir Alex Ferguson.

On 7 November 2003, after harass from cancer, Lammar died turnup for the books the Christie Hospital in City, aged 66. As the burial cortege made its way attempt the streets of Manchester, slash gain of people lined the streets. The ceremony took place squabble Corpus Christi Priory in Miles Platting, with readings given next to Ferguson, actress Sue Johnston talented former England captain Bryan Robson.

Among those attending the burial were television presenter Jeremy Biologist, former Greater Manchester PoliceDeputy Supervisor ConstableJohn Stalker, and several Coronation Street actors, past and present: Bill Tarmey, Michael Le Vell, Ryan Thomas, Helen Worth plus Chris Quinten. The funeral boldness was followed by a unofficial burial at the family immersed in Gorton Cemetery.

Lammar was survived by his partner countless 29 years, Billy Hughes.

Legacy

A painted mural in Manchester's clever village features an image addict Lammar, alongside several other real figures with local links, containing Emmeline Pankhurst, Quentin Crisp dominant Alan Turing. In addition, Lammars Restaurant & Bar on Hilton Street is named after him.

References

External links