David Street’s book Craig Russell and His Ladies opens a vivid window into the life and career of Craig Russell, born Craig Eadie in Toronto in 1948, who became one of Canada’s most celebrated female impersonators and actors. From a young age, Russell displayed a fascination with performance and glamour, becoming president of Mae West’s fan club as a teenager, an experience that eventually led him to live briefly in Los Angeles as her secretary.
This early exposure to show business and the celebrity world gave him an intimate understanding of the artistry he would later bring to his impersonations. Returning to Toronto, he pursued a dual life, working as a hairdresser while performing in gay clubs, where by 1971 he had begun to build a substantial international following. His ability to capture the essence of legendary female stars such as Carol Channing, Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead, Judy Garland, and many others set him apart as a performer of extraordinary range and skill. Audiences from Las Vegas to Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Sydney flocked to see him, drawn by the precision, charisma, and humor of his performances.
