Oldest drag king (female)
- Who
- Elsie Saldaña, aka El Daña
- What
- 80:40 year(s):day(s)
- Where
- United States (Clovis)
- When
- 24 November 2024
The oldest drag king is El Daña (USA, b. Elsie Saldaña, 15 October 1944), who was 80 years 40 days old when she performed at Clovis Senior Activity Center’s Pre-Thanksgiving event in Clovis, California, USA, on 24 November 2024.
Elsie first took to the stage in 1965, lip-syncing to Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” at the Red Robin, a gay bar in Fresno, California, USA. As the crowd clapped and cheered, Elsie felt like a star and knew she wanted to launch a side career in drag, alongside her manufacturing day job.
For many years, Elsie was the only “male impersonator” in the area, the term she preferred to use until “drag king” was coined.
The 80-year-old is best known for perfectly lip-syncing to artists such as Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra, whilst wearing Stetson cowboy hats and suits, usually adorned with rhinestones and sequins.
The oldest drag queen is Rose Levine (USA, b. Robert Levine, 20 March 1933), who performed at the age of 91 years 322 days on 5 February 2025.
Credit: Ray Quenga
How does it feel to be the oldest drag king?
"It feels amazing! At this moment, I feel that I am the "king of kings". It is a great honour to be recognized."
What does drag mean to you?
"To me, drag means doing my best illusion of the character I'm performing and being dressed to the nines! Drag means embodying a character and creating a fantasy for the audience. It is about performing to the best of my abilities."
Credit: Joe E Jeffreys
How do you feel when you’re performing as El Daña?
"It feeds my soul! I feel alive when I'm on stage. I'm a star and everyone is watching."
Looking back to the start of your drag career, how did it feel when you were the only “male impersonator” in your area?
"At the time, I didn't give much thought to being the only male impersonator. I wanted to perform and I focused on being the best entertainer. There were few opportunities for male impersonators, but I showed how well I could perform and entertain the crowd. I proved that I couldn't be denied a stage. Today, I embrace being a trailblazer."
Credit: Ray Quenga
In comparison, how do you feel now that there are drag kings performing all over the world?
"It is unbelievable! It is so wonderful to see such a diversity of performers. God bless the drag king world!"