The family of drag star The Vivienne have paid an emotional tribute, saying the performer “brought sparkle to their life”. The city was left in shock following the news of the 32 year old star’s death, which was confirmed last weekend by their publicist, Simon Jones.
Since the news broke on Sunday, January 5, tributes have been flooding in from around the globe, particularly from Liverpool – the city where The Vivienne, whose real name is James Lee Williams, made a name for themselves. Fans and loved ones gathered outside St George’s Hall tonight (January 12) as the building was lit up in green in memory of the star.
This was a nod to The Vivienne’s role as the Wicked Witch in both the West End and touring productions of The Wizard of Oz. Friends shared heartfelt letters, tributes and anecdotes about The Vivienne, including music that held personal significance to their relationship.
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Balloons were released into the air while ‘For Good’ from the Broadway musical Wicked played through speakers throughout the plateau. Green balloons were also released into the sky.
The vigil was organised by Sahir House, Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity and one The Vivienne was an ambassador of, which has been working alongside the TV star’s family to create tonight’s event. John Hyland, Sahir’s community partnerships lead, was among those to pay tribute to them as well as Bobby Musker and Pete Price, who said it was “unbelievable the power they had with the audience”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
As the vigil neared its close, Bobby took to the stage once more, this time accompanied by James’ young niece, Isabella. She addressed the crowd, saying: “Thank you very much for coming. I love you uncle James.”
Bobby then read aloud a heartfelt letter from James’ family, which expressed their gratitude to the crowd and paid tribute to both James and the city that had such a profound impact on his life.
The letter stated: “Your kindness and support has meant so much to us, as we all shared in sadness the loss of our son, brother, uncle, and a true icon. We are so grateful that we are able to share in this moment, and to be in the presence of such overflowing love and kindness from all you people.
“James was born in North Wales – he never let you forget that. And from an early age, it was evident that he was destined for this stage. Always the eccentric, forever entertaining, and determined to pave his own way in this world.
“James, Vivienne, craved the city, and he left home at 16 in pursuit of his dreams, dreams which were endless, and no matter what he knew, he’d achieve them. From here the Vivienne was born, in the city of Liverpool. The city had her heart. The people became her family, and the freedom to be everything she had ever dreamt brought a comfort that felt like home.
“The road was not easy, but the dream never ever changed and James would always tell us that they would make it happen, and that they did. They made it happen. We are so unbelievably proud of everything they achieved.
“They never gave up, and more importantly, their heart never, ever changed. They were truly special. They brought the sparkle to life. They painted every sky with a magical wonder and shone a light like no other.
“We are so grateful to share in this moment to celebrate the life and the legacy of our James, the Vivienne and thank you so much for coming together to join us all today. We will miss you for an eternity and for an eternity, we will all love you.”
Bobby then expressed his gratitude towards the people of Liverpool and John from Sahir House for their efforts in organising the event. He also touched upon James’s last Instagram post which urged followers to support the charity, saying: “If you saw the last post, it clearly meant something to them. A little goes a long way, donate £1 and those pounds mean a lot.”
The vigil concluded with a poignant rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, after which attendees laid floral tributes at the steps of St George’s Hall.