After a long time illness, Willie Ninja has passed. Most of the information given to me during his illness was through Emanuel Xavier, a long time
confidant and fellow writer. They had become close due to the Ball scene and because Willie was one of the first to support Emanuel's Glam Slam, a combination of spoken word and the gay Ball competitions.
I knew Willie for many many years. Decades now through my family, the House of Diva and it's mother Devon who now goes by Pagan. Willie whom I can't seem to speak of in the past, was amazing. Here was this tall, chiseled god of man wo was as limber as anything I knew. And mind you, I'm not referencing Paris is Burning. It's what I saw every week at some club downtown...be it the World, Tracks, the Tunnel, Save the Robots, or Choice.
If he was there, I was compelled to watch.
I gotta admit, I was a total Fag Hag. Part of me still is. I loved these men. They taught me how to be more woman than anyone before 12th grade.
Paris, another beautiful one, plucked my eyebrows for my highschool prom, permed my hair and made certain my makeup was perfect.
Now there other voguers doing thier thing back then and wow, how I remember them all for the talent they exhibited
Princess, Jerome, Ceasar, some of the kids from the House of Xtravganza. Some has passed. Adrian I would to see at the gym every now and then. Everyone had it going. Still they all bowed to Willie. Willie had not only the talent, he had the dream to go beyond the dance floor, the ballroom. Some were able to make that path too. Some I have no idea.
I just know we lost an incredible man. Me and Emanuel were just talking about him, how he tried to french kiss me at some Ball years ago and how I was sending him a big fat french kiss from Oakland. And then, within minutes, Emanuel got the call...
Willie had exited the building for one last, historical time.
Here's a little bio I found on the web. there's not a lot on the web right now about him. Rest to sure that it will change in the coming days:
"Willie Ninja had been a trend setter with his
incredible dance interpretations including Vogue where
he was featured in the first vogue video by Malcolm
Mclauren (pre Madonna) and helped introduce to the
world the underground dance culture in the hit cult
film "Paris Is Burning". He had also taught some of
fashion's elite to sashay down the runway. From Iman
to Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell to Betty Lago to
name a few. He had recently added his unique flavor to
television shows such as Extreme Make Over, I Want To
Be A Hilton, Jimmy Kimmel Live! He had toured the
world (also with The UN to Japan) performing his hit
record "I'm Hot For You" produced by Louie Vega. He
had worked for designers Patricia Field, Thierry
Mugler & Marithe & Francios Girbaud to name a few."
He was 45 years old.
