Before, people wanted to be like Leslie Jordan; he wanted to be like Pee-Wee Herman on Pee-Wee Playhouse. How lovable was the 35-year-old in that 1990 episode?
Herman shared the sweet story of how that guest appearance happened. “I first encountered Leslie in 1989 when I saw him on television in an episode of Murphy Brown. He was so unique and funny. I loved him instantly. That was one of the greatest most magical super-powers he had—you fell in love with him as soon as you saw him and he spoke anything.
“I was immediately so obsessed with his talent and ability that we wrote an episode for him on Pee-wee’s Playhouse. It happened very quickly and soon after I’d seen him on tv, there he was on my set.
“I got to know him a little bit during the week we produced the show with him as the guest star. In person he was, kind, generous, gentle and would quip stuff under his breath that was hilarious.
“His rise during the pandemic, when he told stories on Instagram and gave people the chance to know his super-powers, was a beautiful thing to see happen. I don’t think anyone was immune to his charm. If you didn’t know him personally, you still couldn’t miss his supernova-ness.
“He became so well known that he seemingly started checking off things on his bucket list—the least of which was becoming a country singer. The joy that came through in his music and singing, especially his excitement from performing at The Grand Ole Opry, was wonderful to behold.
“Simply, there was no one even remotely like him. He was pure magic. RIP, Leslie ❤”
