Foo Foo Lammar

It was at the age of 20 that Pearson originally discovered drag;[6] he claimed to have first worn a dress in a sketch at a Christmas party for mill girls.[10] Whilst working in the paper mill as general manager, Pearson began to appear in pubs as Foo Foo Lamarr by night, taking the surname from the film actress Hedy Lamarr (the surname was latterly spelt as Lammar).[3][7] It was suggested by him that the first name was a result of a Frenchman being unable to pronounce Frank.[10] Lammar later told the story of his father throwing a bar stool at him after discovering what his son was doing. "Somebody told my dad that I was singing in the Ancoats Arms, but what they did not tell him was that I was stretched across the piano in a frock," Lammar commented.[11]

The 1960s was a boom period for drag acts in the northern clubs, and by the 1970s, performers like Danny La Rue and Larry Grayson had made camp entertainment mainstream, a niche which Lammar slotted into. "Appearing on stage in blonde bouffant wigs and expensive sequinned gowns, he was known for his caustic wit and repartee with tough northern audiences", The Times wrote of his act.[3]

Although drag has long been associated with the gay community, Lammar mainly played to straight audiences.[12] "I don't see myself as a drag queen," he said, adding "I'm more of a comic in a frock."[3] The Guardian described Lammar's performing persona as "an outrageous cross between Bet Lynch and Myra Breckinridge."[6]

He appeared on television, radio and in theatres, working with La Rue.[3] The BBC 1 series Nationwide profiled Lammar in a May 1981 edition of the programme,[10] and he was a guest on TV chat shows, such as Granada's Weekend in December 1984. Lammar and his club were also the subject of an August 1985 episode of BBC Radio 4's Actuality documentary series titled "No Vulgarity Tonight", in which parts of his live act were broadcast.[8][13] In an April 1990 episode of the BBC 1 TV drama Making Out, he had a cameo in character: appearing under his Foo Foo alter ego in a nightclub scene, he was billed as the Compere.[14] Lammar's life was the subject of a short BBC 2 documentary, By Day, By Night, which was broadcast in August 1995.[15][16]

In 1996, Lammar took part in Liz Dawn's House Party!, a direct-to-video release hosted by Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn.[17] In October that year, he was seen in The Ghost of Ivy Tilsley, a Channel 4 documentary about another Coronation Street actress, Lynne Perrie, who had played Ivy Tilsley in the soap opera.[18] In February 1997, Lammar had a small role in the final episode of the BBC comedy drama TV series Common as Muck. Lammar played Martin, a character seemingly based on himself, who wears drag and works in a nightclub.[19] Lammar also hosted a segment for the Men & Motors channel, Hot Agony Aunt, in which he gave advice to viewers' problems.[3][11]

Lammar bought his first club, the Picador in Shudehill, located in Manchester's city centre, in 1971. He subsequently took over Celebrity, another city centre venue. Located in Dale Street, he renamed it Foo Foo's Palace, and the club became well-established.[3] Lammar worked behind the bar, serving customers in full drag, before doing two turns as the cabaret entertainment, with two support acts in between. He would surprise audiences at the end by appearing as himself, minus the drag. Coachloads of hen parties would visit from around the country to see him perform. Foo Foo's Palace was also a favourite venue for Manchester United footballer players, and it was patronised by showbusiness personalities.[3][6] Lammar also owned Monroe's, and a punk club, The Ranch, which was next door to Foo Foo's Palace.[20][21]

In the early 1970s, he owned Napoleon's, thought to be Manchester's oldest gay bar.[22] By the 1990s, the Canal Street area had become known as the city's gay village, and Lammar owned Cruz 101 there.[3] In 1994, he opened Metz on Brazil Street.[12] Lammar opened another branch of Metz in Liverpool in 1996.[2]

In his spare time, Lammar was a prolific fundraiser for local charities, such as the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. His appearances at charity auctions would attract large donations from members of the public,[3] and Lammar reportedly raised £4m for charity.[7] In March 1997, The Times reported that he had obtained a donation of £500 for the Children's Hospital from Diana, Princess of Wales.[23] Lammar was a patron and latterly chairman of the Wallness Children's Charity.[24]