About Michele Bruno
Lived 1941 – 2016 (aged 74–75). Michele Bruno was a South African drag queen and hairdresser.
Michele Bruno (1941-2016) was a South African drag queen and hairdresser. Bruno lived in Johannesburg and came to perform drag in the 1960s. He was the first Miss Gay South Africa in 1969.
Biography Bruno was born in 1941 and his parents were Italian immigrants to South Africa. By 1960, Bruno was performing as a drag queen, though his day job was working as a hairdresser in Johannesburg.
In 1960, Bruno was involved in the first commercial drag show at the Jewish Guild Theatre. In 1969, Bruno was named the first Miss Gay South Africa. A 1997 oral history by Bruno and an archive of materials saved by Bruno is part of the Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA) collection.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Michele Bruno's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Michele Bruno?
South African drag queen and hairdresser
When was Michele Bruno born?
Michele Bruno was born in 1941.
When did Michele Bruno die?
Michele Bruno died in 2016.
What was Michele Bruno's occupation?
Michele Bruno was a drag queen and hairdresser.
What nationality was Michele Bruno?
Michele Bruno was South African.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Michele Bruno. https://biography.guide/michele-bruno/
MLA: "Michele Bruno." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/michele-bruno/.
Chicago: "Michele Bruno." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/michele-bruno/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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