Vale, Atlanta Georgia

Drag identity Atlanta Georgia (Paul McCarter) died last Thursday, aged 36, leaving behind a legacy of loud mouth humour and riveting stage performances.

An autopsy this week revealed Georgia died as a result of hydrocephalus, caused by a colloid cyst on the brain.

Georgia’s success in the 90s was unparalleled as she moved from local scene identity to the larger audiences of Sleaze and the Mardi Gras after party. In 1998 she picked up the DIVA Rising Star gong, then changed focus to other life goals including nursing.

She is remembered by her peers as a fearless performer who exuded a confidence that was almost cartoonish.

All I remember is her character -” it was big, and she was so bright, DIVA president Paul Croft told Sydney Star Observer.

She wasn’t cut from the same cloth as the others. She had an individual style and she just revelled in not being stereotypical. She had complete comfort in the way that she presented herself and that’s what drag is all about.

Friend and SSO columnist Maxi Shield said she would miss the drag star’s humour.

She was always in bright colours and was just totally over the top, Shield said. She was always slightly crazy like that and really had a wicked sense of humour.

info: Georgia’s funeral will be held on Thursday 11 September at Sacred Heart Hospice, 170 Darlinghurst Rd, at 1.30pm, with celebrations of her life continuing at Slide from 2.30pm.