by donnie (Horn) (Author), Walter W Cole/Darcelle (Contributor)

An exciting sequel to The Many Shades of Darcelle. This book takes you from 1969 to 2023 on the extraordinary life of Walter W. Cole who began as Madame Demas, evolving into Darcelle XV - the Guinness Book of Records World's Oldest Performing Drag Queen. Walter W. Cole was running a beer and wine tavern in the Skid Row part of Portland Oregon when he encountered a person who came into his establishment went into the restroom as a woman and came out as a man. Not knowing what he just saw, he let it slide. Until a couple of weeks later, this person did it again. This time when the man came out, Walter asked a question – “Who and what are you?” This struck up a conversation, turning into a friendship, and soon Walter too was in a dress lip-syncing to Barbara Streisand. This was 1968 and by 1969 the beer and wine tavern started hosting 15-minute drag shows on the weekends. These humble beginnings lasting for 54 years. A 2005 LA Times feature article stated, “Guts. Brass. Stick with it night after night, come war, AIDS, Christian fanatics, gunplay, drug dealers on the doorstep, and lean times. Sticking with it is the key to the club’s success, Walter and Roxy agree. In the days before gays were out, they had the audacity to put on dresses and makeup and flounce around the stage like women. But they didn’t ignore the times, they went with them. Even before that, Walter whose alter-ego name is Darcelle was recognized for these trailblazing efforts. “Darcelle has become a card-carrying member of the Portland establishment, right down to regular mentions and photographs in what we once called the ‘society pages.’Susan Stanley This Week Magazine [July 24, 1985] Come turn each page and see how Walter/Darcelle has progressed to be recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the World’s Oldest Performing Drag Queen. Part of The Darcelle Project - recipient of the 2021 Oregon Excellence Heritage Award.