Walter W. Cole, a drag queen, performer, and cabaret owner and operator from Portland, Oregon, went by the stage name Darcelle XV and lived from November 16, 1930 until March 23, 2023.

The nightclub Darcelle XV Showplace in downtown Portland, which Darcelle XV founded more than 50 years ago, wrote a statement on Facebook expressing its sorrow and requesting solitude and time.

The club, which by the 1970s had established itself as a Portland cultural landmark, was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 2020, making it the first location in Oregon to do so expressly for its relevance to LGBTQ+ history.

What Was Darcelle XV Known For?

Darcelle XV was known for being a drag queen, performer, and cabaret owner and operator from Portland, Oregon. Darcelle XV was also known for being certified as the oldest drag queen performer in 2016, with a career as an entertainer spanning 57 years at the time of his death by the Guinness World Records.