She changed her name to "The Lady Chablis" when she was 16 years old and living in Atlanta. SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Lady Chablis, the transgender performer who became an unlikely celebrity for her role in the 1994 best-seller Midnight in the … Feel free to envy our glamour. She also appeared on radio shows. It was at a gay club in Chattanooga in 1977. The cause was pneumonia, said Cale Hall, a longtime friend and an owner of Club One, where she had performed for three decades. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. A broken incisor tooth punctuated her smile and gave her a naughty look.". [5] A new friend, Linda, saw the decline in Chablis' health and moved her into her two-bedroom apartment. [7] She did not meet her mother until she was nine, or her father until she was 12. [5], Chablis and Linda moved to Regency Woods apartment complex. She was 59. Club One, the Savannah, Georgia, hot spot where Chablis famously performed, announced her death on Facebook, Thursday. All rights reserved. She died on 8 September 2016 at St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. A friend, Cale Hall, further confirmed to the Associated Press that … The Lady Chablis, who stole hearts – and the spotlight – in Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil, passed this morning surrounded by friends and family. It was there that she met Cliff Taylor, who performed under the pseudonym of Miss Tina Devore. Chablis' sister, Cynthia Ponder, confirmed she died at Candler Hospital. "I think it was the pure honesty she gave people. She told you what she thought. "She's the one that people asked me about most often," Berendt said in a phone interview. She didn't think it up for me though. A modern, nonfiction take on Southern Gothic storytelling, author John Berendt's "Midnight" thrust Savannah into the pop-culture spotlight. [19], The Lady Chablis died on September 8, 2016, from Pneumocystis pneumonia, aged 59,[20][12] at Savannah's Candler Hospital. She was 59. A close friend, Cale Hall, said Chablisdied from pneumonia and had been in the hospital for the past month. The Lady Chablis, drag performer famous for her role in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” died on Thursday. No cause of death was reported. [5], She performed at Club One on its opening night in 1988, and was a regular performer there until August 6, 2016, just before she was hospitalized. [18] In her book Hiding My Candy, Chablis said she had not undergone sex reassignment surgery. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. She describes her act and reveals the origin of her name. A close friend, Cale Hall, said Chablis died from pneumonia and had been in the hospital for the past month. Chablis tells Berendt she's a showgirl. Chablis had performed at Club One in downtown Savannah since its opening day in 1988, said Hall, the nightclub's co-owner. Market data provided by Factset. As it gained popularity, Chablis did TV interviews on programs including The … SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Lady Chablis, the transgender performer who became an unlikely celebrity for her role in the 1994 best-seller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," died Thursday in Savannah. [7] She went on to live with her father in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, in 1969. The Lady Chablis (March 11, 1957 – September 8, 2016), also known as The Grand Empress and The Doll, was an American actor, author, and transgender club performer. Alexis Arquette's Cause of Death Revealed, Actress Battled HIV for 29 Years By Jennifer Drysdale 4:12 PM PDT, September 20, 2016 This video is unavailable because we … ", Chablis insisted on playing herself in the 1997 "Midnight" movie directed by Clint Eastwood. In 1996, Chablis penned her autobiography, "Hiding My Candy," and went on to play herself in Clint Eastwood's 1997 movie adaptation of … Though her official cause of death was cardiac arrest, Alexis Arquette had been suffering from bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the heart, for three weeks before her death. So he cast Chablis as Chablis.". And the sassy, blunt-spoken Chablis rode the book's popularity to a level of fame that was rare for transgender performers at the time. [17][1] In his book, Berendt wrote that he met Chablis as she was returning home from having a hormone injection. “With her declining health, she regretted that her body wouldn’t allow her to give more.” The cause of death was not disclosed. Lady Chamblis (above) made Savannah a destination In her obituary, pneumonia was listed as the cause of Chablis’s death. "Love yourself first and respect yourself first and others will love and respect you. The Lady Chablis, a transgender entertainer known best for playing a drag queen comedian in the 1997 film "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," died Sept. 8, 2016, in Savannah, Georgia, according to multiple news sources. Encouraged by her friend's lush life and surroundings, Chablis decided to return to the stage. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "She was a breakout star, no doubt about it," Hall said. No cause of death was reported. The Lady Chablis volunteered and donated to the American Diabetes Association and various LGBT charities and events. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He is a character in Apocalypse portrayed by Billy Porter. "Flying home with The Lady Chablis was a blast", "First transgender star The Lady Chablis dies at 59", "It's Been a Vintage Year for The Lady Chablis", "The Lady Chablis, Sassy Eccentric in 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,' Dies at 59", "Brian Kovalski – Lowell (Massachusetts)", "Lady Chablis, Trans Icon and Savannah's Grand Empress, Dead at 59", The Lady Chablis' memorial page at Club One, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lady_Chablis&oldid=1003298935, Infectious disease deaths in Georgia (U.S. state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 January 2021, at 09:41. In this Thursday, Nov. 20, 1997 file photo, The Lady Chablis twirls for the crowd awaiting the stars of the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" to arrive for the premier screening in Savannah, Ga. (AP). She was an actress, known for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Partners (1999) and Stranded with Cash Peters (2005). Events . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A few of Chablis' gowns were on display in the theatre's lobby. She left her job in a dispute over pay. She was a prominent character in John Berendt's best-selling 1994 book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, during her days working at The Pickup on Congress Street. Famed drag queen Lady Bunny, who had flown in from New York, recalled the first time she saw Chablis. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. In her early career as an entertainer, under the name Brenda Dale Knox, she won multiple titles in drag pageantry including:[15], Chablis said she did not want any label except her name, "The Lady Chablis",[16] and said she found it hurtful when people called her a "drag queen". The news was posted on her Facebook page by Club One, the Savannah, GA, room where she performed.