A letter from the family was read out at a vigil tonight held in Liverpool city centre
People started gathering at St George’s Plateau from 5.30pm(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
The family of drag star The Vivienne said they “brought sparkle to their life” in an emotional tribute this evening. The city was shocked to hear of the 32-year-old star’s death, confirmed last weekend by their publicist, Simon Jones.
Since the news broke on Sunday, January 5, tributes have been pouring in from all over the world and no more so than from Liverpool – the city where The Vivienne, whose real name is James Lee Williams, made a name for herself.
Fans and loved ones gathered outside St George’s Hall tonight (January 12) as the building was illuminated in green to remember the star. This choice was to honour 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 of The Vivienne including music that was personal to their relationship. 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, 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”.
Just before the end of the vigil, Bobby returned on stage with James’ young niece Isabella, who told the crowd: “Thank you very much for coming. I love you uncle James.”
Bobby then read out a letter to the crowd from James’ family which paid tribute to both them and the city that shaped their life. The letter said: ”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.
Green balloons were released during the vigil(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“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 thanked the people of Liverpool and John from Sahir House for organising the event. James’s last Instagram post encouraged people to support the charity.
Bobby said: “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.”
After this, a moving performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow marked the end of the vigil. Those in attendances then left floral tributes at the steps of St George’s Hall.