Stefan Grygelko, known worldwide as drag icon Heklina, has died. The Californian artist was 54 years old.
Heklina was found dead in London by Peaches Christ, a close friend and fellow artist. The two were in England for a run of “Mommie Queerest,” a musical parody of the 1981 Joan Crawford biopic “Mommie Dearest.” The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“I’m having a real nightmare so forgive me if I don’t have all the answers right now,” Peaches Christ, whose real name is Joshua Grannell, wrote on Facebook. “This morning in London, England, I picked up my dear friend Heklina, who is acting with me in a play called Mommie Queerest, and found her dead. I still don’t know the cause of death.”
The statement continued: “I know this is shocking news and I’m beyond stunned, but I wanted to let people know what happened. Heklina is not only my best friend, but also a beloved icon of our community. I’m cabbage”.
Santiago Felipe via Getty Images
London’s SoHo Theatre, where she played “Mommie Queerest”. shared his own statement on the Twitter feed.
“Our thoughts go out to Peaches, the Mommie Queerest company, Hekline’s family, friends and their wider community,” the theater tweeted, noting that staff members were “shocked and incredibly saddened.”
News of Heklina’s death drew an outpouring of tributes from other beloved drag artists.
“I am heartbroken. We communicated almost every day and nothing made me happier than making her laugh,” Miss Coco Peru he wrote on Twitter. “We visited recently and I’m so grateful we got to spend some time together. Heklina, I loved and adored you, and my only comfort now is to know that I have told you so often.”
Lady Bunny added, “Beloved drag SF legend Heklina is gone. Knowing Peaches, I thought it was an April thing. I’m gonna miss that funny dog!
Until Monday night, San Francisco’s Castro Theater honored Heklina in its marquee.
World of Wonder, the production company behind “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” paid tribute on social media.
“We are saddened by the passing of Heklina, a beloved and iconic pioneer in our community and a legend of the San Francisco drag scene.” the company tweeted. “Our hearts go out to his friends, family and all who were touched by his happy spirit.”
Originally from Minneapolis, Heklina rose to prominence after moving to San Francisco after a stint in Iceland in 1996. The artist’s moniker comes from Hekla, one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes.
Shortly after arriving in California, Heklina began hosting a weekly series of shows known as “Mama” at the Stud, a nightclub in San Francisco. The show has quickly become one of the most popular drag shows on the West Coast and has hosted many mainstream stars over the years, including Charro and Lady Gaga.
Jeff Kravitz via Getty Images
“When I moved to San Francisco, I fell in love with the punk style of drag queens,” Heklina told the Bay Area Reporter in 2008. “I never sat down and said, ‘I want to be a drag queen. “. and runs a night club. When it happened and it took off, it was like I had to do it.”
A frequent performer at LGBTQ Pride events along the West Coast, Heklina co-founded a second San Francisco drag venue, Oasis, in 2015. She later called Oasis “the crown jewel of my career so far.” .
In 2019, Heklina stepped down as owner of Oasis to spend more time in Palm Springs, California, but continued to perform regularly on “Mommie Queerest” and “Golden Girls Live,” among other shows.
