Without mentioning her disabled status, she volunteered that she had even given up shoplifting designer clothes, called ''mopping'' by performers who rely on the practice. (2006). She, as she preferred to be called, was 53. He was the last of the Harlem underground ball trailblazers and Paris Is Burning subjects, to pass. List of self-identified LGBTQ New Yorkers, "Pepper LaBeija, Queen of Harlem Drag Balls, Is Dead at 53", "Pepper LaBeija, 53; Queen of Drag Ball Scene in Harlem", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pepper_LaBeija&oldid=985961528, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 October 2020, at 00:07. Pepper LaBeija, Queen of Harlem Drag Balls, Is Dead at 53. On May 14, 2003, LaBeija died of a heart attack at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan at the age of 54.[1]. Some websites seem to be confusing her and Pepper Labeija saying that she died in 2003 from heart failure. ''A house is a family for those who don't have a family,'' Miss LaBeija said in the movie. Crystal LaBeija was a Manhattan trans woman of color and drag queen who founded the House of LaBeija in 1977. As LaBeija's health declined, her children lived with their maternal grandmother. Pepper’s ballroom husband Tommie supported her every step of the way. When Flawless Sabrina, host of the Miss All-America Camp Beauty Pageant, announced that Crystal LaBeija was the 3rd runner up, coming in fourth place overall, LaBeija … Marcel LaBeija and Mr. Lantelme said that Pepper was also survived by a son and daughter, but did not know these survivors' names. Pepper LaBeija (November 5, 1948 – May 14, 2003) was an American drag queen and fashion designer. In 1992, Jackson died. • Pepper LaBeija was also featured in the art documentary, “How Do I look” (released in 2006) but reportedly suffered from diabetes and died of a heart attack at the age of 53, in 2003. Malcolm McLaren quoted LaBeija in 1989 song and music video "Deep in Vogue", a tribute to the New York gay balls of the 1980s, runway competitions that involved dance, fashion, and attitude. But she did not want a sex-change operation, explaining that women don't have it so great. In an interview, Ms. Livingston spoke of Pepper's ''glamorous bravado'' that stood out in a flock of Marilyn Monroes. Legendary Pepper LaBeija, mother of The House of LaBeija The Fiercest Mother of Them All: Pepper was famous for her irreverence, her wit, uniqueness, and charm. LaBeija also made appearances on The Joan Rivers Show (1991), TV Transvestites(1982) and The Queen (1968).[4]. And $1,500 went to my lawyer for doing … The idea was to give gay blacks and Hispanics a place to dress up and perform. LaBeija is best known for her appearances in the documentary films Paris Is Burning (1990) and How Do I Look? Some places I looked also seemed to confuse her with Angie Xtravaganza re: causes of death. ", "Why 'The Queen' Documentary Is an Essential Queer Time Capsule", "The Iconic Drag Queen Behind Frank Ocean's 'Endless, "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor unveiled at Stonewall Inn", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be unveiled at historic Stonewall Inn", "Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crystal_LaBeija&oldid=983300491, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2019, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 October 2020, at 13:10. LaBeija was born in The Bronx. She remained the head (known as "the Mother") for over 20 years. share. Marcel's given name is Herman Williams, but the last name of LaBeija is used by all members of the House of LaBeija, the group of performers Pepper led. The drag ball scene, as portrayed in ''Paris Is Burning,'' had its sad aspects as well. [citation needed], LaBeija suffered from diabetes mellitus type 2 and had both feet amputated as a result. LaBeija was known as "the last remaining queen of the Harlem drag balls". ArtsEverywhere", "Is 'RuPaul's Drag Race' the Most Radical Show on TV? That's what I had heard as well, Pepper seems to have taken over the house in '82 but I can't seem to find sources that match, so I had assumed Crystal would have passed in 81/82. Anyone know more about her? This thread is archived. The performer who used the stage name Pepper LaBeija as a glamorous queen of the Harlem drag balls immortalized in the 1991 documentary … Miss LaBeija (pronounced la-BAY-zha) appeared proudly in luxuriant female garb that was often golden and shimmering, and referred to herself in feminine terms, her friend Marcel Christian LaBeija said. Pepper took over in 1971 or 1972, Marcel said. save. ''Her specialty was the Egyptian effect,'' Marcel LaBeija said. ''You mop, you get locked,'' she explained. The House is often credited as starting the house system in ball culture for homeless LGBTQ youth, she became a mother figure giving love, support and relief while also confidence for the ballroom and outside world. The paradox was more bitter than sweet: performers strove to become the very people who would reject them. hide. best. Trophies were awarded to those who best achieved ''realness,'' or resemblance to an archetype. Though men have long dressed as women for many reasons, the modern institution of the Harlem ball began around 1960, said Marcel LaBeija, who is writing a book on the subject. In turn, the pair paved the way for drag and ballroom, mentoring and supporting countless young gay, trans, and queer people of color as parental figures for the house. Sort by. She was largely bedridden for the last 10 years of her life. [1] While LaBeija often presented as male, she preferred to be referred to by the feminine pronoun "she. Marcel said that Pepper supported herself by producing them and by teaching modeling. [2], LaBeija and her companion Pamela Jackson had a daughter together, and LaBeija devoted much of her time to her family, raising her daughter and stepson. Pepper was the last of the four great queens of the modern Harlem balls; Angie Xtravaganza, Dorian Corey and Avis Pendavis all died in recent years. Pepper LaBeija was called ''mother''; the house's younger members were the ''children.''. During that time, Crystal passed the torch to Pepper LaBeija, who became the new mother of the house. The House of LaBeija was one of the first houses, founded in 1970. 36 comments. These four exuded a sort of wild expressionism that might make Las Vegas showgirls seem tame. As LaBeija's health declined, her children lived with their maternal grandmother. One man says that the biggest ''realness'' a man can attain is to be convincing enough to make it home on the subway without getting beaten up for being in costume. An earlier circuit for drag performers had been geared to white people, and black performers had sometimes whitened their faces to fit in. report. Like many such performers, she had surgically implanted breasts. Pepper LaBeija was a legend to the members and patrons of the Harlem ball scene, a world of extravagant make-believe that crosses sexual boundaries and that was chronicled in ''Paris Is Burning,'' directed by Jennie Livingston. Pepper LaBeija was not appeased: "The $5,000 I got was hush money. The performer who used the stage name Pepper LaBeija as a glamorous queen of the Harlem drag balls immortalized in the 1991 documentary ''Paris Is Burning'' died on May 14 at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. A woman who answered the telephone at her mother's home but who would not identify herself said the cause of death was a heart attack. level 1. They set up changing categories within which to compete; these sometimes included Town & Country types, military personnel, corporate executives, schoolgirls and schoolboys and fashion models. The best won trophies; no one won more than Miss LaBeija, who took away around 250, mostly for extravagant takes on high fashion.