Beloved Drag Queen Dies After Collapsing During Performance
A local drag queen has died after collapsing onstage during a performance at a gay bar in Philadelphia on Monday. Valencia Prime, 30, was performing at the Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar when she took ill.
Tabu owner Jeffrey Sotland told NBC News via email Prime had collapsed while performing onstage Monday. Tabu had advertised a Drag-A-Rama Show hosted by Aloe Vera for that evening.According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, police reported a woman fell ill at the bar and was taken to an area hospital where she later passed away.“Today we mourn the loss of a very bright and rising star in the performance community and a person who was always full of love and positivity,” Tabu posted to social media this week. “We say goodbye to Valencia Prime but we will not forget the light you brought to the stage.” In a later post, Tabu wrote they were communicating with Prime’s family regarding a possible show in the late performer’s honor.Friends and coworkers remembered Prime as an amiable and inspirational figure in their lives. “She was a sweetheart – the most encouraging person,” Serena Grace, a friend who grew up with Valencia, told the Inquirer. “She was kind to everyone.
I pray her family heals from the loss.”Anthony Veltre, who peforms as Aloe Vera and was scheduled to host a show at Tabu on Monday, was left emotionally distraught by Prime’s passing.“You are and will forever be my light,” Veltre wrote in a post to Facebook. “I wish I knew how to keep going without you.” Prime’s mother left a simple but emotional post on Facebook noting her loss.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help defray funeral expenses for the family.“It is with a heavy heart that we let you all know that our sweetest Valencia Prime has passed away.
