It’s been nearly five months since Charlotte drag legend Kasey King passed away at the age of 68. Since her death, a funeral service was held by King’s family, which welcomed friends and fans from the LGBTQ+ community and a memorial drag show took place at Club Cabaret in Hickory.
One thing’s for certain: Kasey King was well-loved and, even with the passage of time, her absence is still felt by many in Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ community.
That’s likely why a handful of Charlotte’s long time drag performers, who considered King a true friend and a talent to be reckoned with, came together for a recent event memorializing the late drag diva.
For organizers, it served a dual purpose as both a memorial and performance presentation in honor of their friend King, and a reunion event for patrons of the former Charlotte gay club Oleen’s, which opened in 1968 and closed its doors just short of 30 years in business in 1997.
Touted on social media as “Oleen’s Reunion 2025: Sisters in the Name of Love in Memory of Kasey King,” the presentation was held Sunday April 13 at The Hideaway, located at 405 East Baskins Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina.The presentation kicked off at at 5 p.m. and continued throughout the evening.
King’s history in Charlotte dates back to 1976, when she made the decision to move here from the small town of China Grove. According to friends and some public records, King was born sometime in July, 1956. On a personal level, she did not identify as Trans, and instead wore the tag of gender fluid, going by both her stage name of Kasey King, as well as her birth name of Lovester Randall Murdoch.
She was loved by fans and friends for her sassy sense of humor, carefully crafted image and talent for performing upbeat R&B numbers.
Despite the previous memorial service and show, King’s closest and tightly knit group of friends and extended family wanted to offer one more final goodbye. “The show held at Club Cabaret in Hickory was a wonderful homage to Kasey,” explained one of the organizers for the latest event, Brittany Gwynne. “The girls in Hickory gave such a touching tribute to her. We just weren’t ready to say our goodbyes yet.
“We felt her chosen family, her sisters, her daughter and her closest friends, needed to hold our memorial service for those in our community to pay our last respects to the legendary Kasey King. We knew we had to say goodbye and do it in Kasey King style: fierce, funny and fabulous.
“It was also a great occasion to reunite with old friends, reminisce about our younger days, the times we had and the friends we’ve lost.”
Included on the roster of performers were Amber Rochelle, Aurora Nicole, Beverly Iman and guest Jazzmine, Bloody Mary, Blush, Brooklyn Dior, Coco Chanel, Deanna Nicole, Elaine Davis, Erika Chanel, Goddess, Keisha Wellington, Kiana Lane, Kobra, Leslie Lain, Lilli Frost, Miss Kim, Miss Mabel, Missy V. Soul, Nancy Newton, Paisley Parque, Phina 5000, Shea Allen, Sheila Williams, Sinister, Tiara Monet, Valerie Rockwell, Vanity Van Dank and Vegas Van Dank.
Along with Gwynne, other organizers for the event included longtime local based performers Tiffany Storm and Tina Terrell, who in an acknowledgment of their roots, dubbed themselves the “Sisters in the Name of Love” in a tip of the hat to the late owner of Oleen’s, Oleen Love.
“We had a good crowd for Kasey’s memorial and an Oleen’s reunion of sorts,” said Gwynne. “Not huge, but about 150 people. It was everything we wanted it to be.”
This artice was updated April 16. Special event acknowledgements go out to Joel Houston of Flowers Plus for floral arrangements; Brett York for graphic designs and owners and management of The Hideaway. For more details and pictures visit the Facebook groups The Legendary Oleen’s Lounge and In Memory of Kasey King.