14-May-1964 to 4-Mar-2009
Melbourne has said goodbye to one of its true showgirls — the exuberant Vivien St James, who died after a six-week battle with a brain tumour and lung cancer. She was a consummate performer famous for her Hollywood bombshell looks.
Her legacy was more than entertainment, being a key part of the colourful subculture that brought much to the wider gay community. With high cheekbones and a lot of cleavage, St James was striking, with a wit drier than an AA meeting.
Matter-of-fact about her transsexuality, she had no desire for a sex-change operation and defied being categorised by identity alone. "I'm not a transsexual who believes I'm a woman trapped in a man's body," she said. "I believe I was born male, but can live my life looking like a female. I'd rather be liked for the person I am, not the genitalia I have."
A headliner with the Classics every Saturday at St Kilda's Greyhound Hotel, she performed her way through Melbourne's venues starting with the Pokeys at St Kilda's Prince of Wales in 2001. Later came Les Girls. She also appeared on television, in films and music videos and on fashion catwalks, doing much charity work for HIV and breast cancer.
She would be annoyed when people assumed transsexuals did not lead a relatively normal life. "I have friends from before I became a transsexual who say I'm the same person with the same sense of humour. Nothing's changed except I've got a few extra bits and pieces."
Her career as a showgirl took off in 1995 when she first hosted the Rainbow Awards, hosting both those awards and the Fantasy Ball for a decade. In 2004 she felt she received her reward when “She-Male” was nominated for Show of the Year, and in 2005 she was voted Drag Diva of the Year.
Costumes were a huge part of her life, with thousands of dollars spent in preparation for big events. She wanted everything to be perfect. She always looked stunning, never putting a step out of place.
On January 10 she complained to friends of severe headaches. Within a week, she had a brain tumour removed, but she kept her sense of humour to the end. She discouraged hospital visitors, not wanting people to see her at anything less than her glamorous best.
In her entertainment life she was a perfectionist in what she did and how she looked. She would never go on stage unless she looked her absolute best. St James had the courage and the strength to create her own image. She was her own very special creation and her fans loved her for it.
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