Oldest drag king (female)
- Who
- Elsie Saldaña, aka El Daña
- What
- 81:160 year(s):day(s)
- Where
- United States (Fresno)
- When
- 24 April 2026
The oldest drag king is El Daña (USA, b. Elsie Saldaña, 15 October 1944), who was 81 years 160 days old when she performed at the GROM 2026 Stardust Stampede event in Fresno, California, USA, on 24 April 2026.
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. 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 octogenarian is best known for perfectly lip-syncing to artists such as Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra, while 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.