Paul O’Grady, comedian, TV presenter, animal lover and drag artist, has died unexpectedly aged 67. He rose to fame in the 1990s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, going on to present BBC One game show Blankety Blank, other light entertainment and celebrity chat programmes.
In the 1990s he brought drag culture into the mainstream and campaigned for the LGBT community with sharp-tongued and mischievous glee.
He was born 14 June 1955 at 7.30am in Birkenhead, brought up in a working class family and was an altar boy. He left school at 16, had a daughter following a brief relationship, and worked initially as a care officer for older people. He put the spikey, caustic Lily Savage alter ego out to pasture in 2004, banishing her to a “a convent in Brittany” and proceeded to forge a successful, multifarious career in television. He won a Bafta for the Paul O’Grady Show, became an advocate for animal rights and having left a long-running BBC Radio show recently was appearing in a new touring production of Annie.
He had a maverick, unconventional and trailblazing Uranus on his Cancer Ascendant conjunct Jupiter in flamboyant Leo trine an Aries Moon conjunct his Midheaven, sextiling onto Mercury in Gemini – he had flair, a gift for words and a comedian’s quirky talent for seeing the humour in bleak places. His Gemini Sun was trine Neptune and sextile Pluto giving his talent weight and influence as well as money-making potential.
Though unexpected, he had a truly Jupiterian exit with tr Jupiter moving through his 10th house at the moment and tr Pluto exactly opposition his Jupiter.
He had been under considerable pressure with acute frustration through 2021/22 with his Progressed Mars conjunct his focal point Pluto, which may have left a mark.
Jupiter through the 10th is not uncommon when people die especially celebrities since there tends to be a celebration of their lives with much publicity.
I am not that keen on drag but I loved Paul especially in the Bill. Still laughing now. It is sad news, but that guy really lived life and that is a comfort. He even had two grand kids along the way by his daughter.
Thanks Marjorie – I was quite shocked by this news today. Paul O’Grady has done some wonderful work for animals, as well as being very entertaining. Something of the old school vaudeville/music hall entertainer about him too. A Jupiter exit seems very appropriate, both for his personality and for the association with Sagittarius and animals. I notice that the recent Aries New Moon and Spring Equinox ingress trine his Jupiter from the tenth house, perhaps setting off the Pluto transit too. What a fantastic and colourful character – a swift, unexpected exit seems about right. Wishing him a happy onward journey.
I loved him as the acerbic Lily Savage back in the day and just knew he had to be a Gemini. Regarding his love of dogs, his 12th house Mars in Cancer is conjunct Sirius (the ‘dog’ star in Canis Major).
VF – how lovely! Thanks for that.
VF and ascendent on 25 Cancer, fixed star Procyon, meaning “before the dog” as it preceded the rising of Sirius. Neat synchronicity I think. RIP
Thanks, Jane and Gamal. I was reading about his friendship with comic, Julian Clary – they both lived in the same locality and enjoyed going to the pub together and making everyone laugh. The wonderful thing is that Julian also has Venus on Sirius and his Mars on that Procyon fixed star you mentioned, Gamal. Clary is also a dog lover, owns two dogs and his comedy act included his then whippet mongrel, Fanny the Wonderdog.
James Brown once said, “Go in important, leave important”. That’s exactly what Paul did.
Whether as Lily or Paul O’Grady, he was a class act. His rapier wit spared nobody.
He is probably laughing with joy at the glorious tributes he received, wherever he is now.