The Lady Chablis
| The Lady Chablis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Benjamin Edward Knox March 11, 1957 Quincy, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | September 8, 2016 (aged 59) Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Other names | Brenda Dale Knox |
| Occupation | Actress Author Drag queen |
Brenda Dale Knox (March 11, 1957 – September 8, 2016), known professionally as The Lady Chablis, was an American actress, author, and drag performer. Through exposure in the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and its 1997 film adaptation she became one of the first drag performers to be accepted by a wider audience.
Born Benjamin Edward Knox in North Florida in 1957, she had at least one sibling (a sister). Knox grew up during the 1960s and 1970s in Quincy, Florida. Legally her name was changed to "The Lady Chablis" in the 1990s.
Chablis frequently performed at her "home" nightclub of Club One in Savannah, where she was known as the "Grand Empress". Chablis traveled the US performing at various venues and special events, such as gay pride gatherings. She also appeared on radio shows. She was a prominent character in John Berendt's best-selling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994), and played herself in the 1997 film adaptation, starring Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.
The Lady Chablis was featured in the closing segment of the Savannah episode of Bizarre Foods America on The Travel Channel. She joined host Andrew Zimmern at several Savannah restaurants including Elizabeth on 37th. In 2012, she was interviewed in Savannah, Georgia on the local television and internet talk show "MAMA Knows Best Talk Show" season 2 episode 1. On April 19, 2013 Chablis performed for the grand opening of Mama's Cabaret in Lewiston, Maine with "MAMA" Savannah Georgia.
In her early career as an entertainer, under the names Brenda Dale Knox, she won multiple titles in drag pageantry including:
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