Legendary British drag act Danny La Rue has died at the age of 81.

The cabaret entertainer spent more than half a century on stage, and was most famous for his impersonations of such diverse female icons as Marlene Dietrich, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Margaret Thatcher. His spokesperson said that La Rue died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Kent. He had been suffering from cancer.

Brian Shaw, who worked as La Rue's agent for more than 25 years, described him today as "a true show-business legend" and "a man of real class and style".

Born Daniel Patrick Carroll in Ireland in 1927, La Rue was brought to England at the age of nine, and his family settled in London. The youngest of three children, he was evacuated to Devon during the blitz and worked in an Exeter shop after leaving school at the age of 15.

La Rue first donned wig and eyelashes during a navy concert party in Singapore at the end of the second world war. He acquired his stage name early on, but disliked being called a drag artist, preferring the title "comic in a frock".

La Rue made his London debut at the tiny Irving theatre and worked with Barbara Windsor, who remained a close friend, after he broke into cabaret. As his stage act grew even bigger, he opened his own nightclub in Hanover Square in 1964.

The venture was a huge success, attracting more than 13,000 members and shooting La Rue to fame. Judy Garland, Warren Beatty, Shirley Bassey, Noël Coward, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Elizabeth Taylor were all patrons. La Rue went on to appear in pantomime in the 1960s, becoming one of the highest-paid entertainers of the decade. He clocked up 53 panto roles over the course of his 54-year career, andmade theatrical history by becoming the first man to play a female role in a major musical when he took the part of the titular matchmaker in Hello, Dolly!

He later said of that role: "It took me 20 years to make something that wasn't acceptable, acceptable. I mean, it's not funny just to put on a frock and a wig. It takes a lot of time to develop a character. But I suppose I must be doing something right, otherwise I wouldn't have lasted."

He went on to appear in dozens of TV shows, including The Good Old Days and Tonight With Danny La Rue. He was appointed an OBE in 2002, and performed more than 30 times at Buckingham Palace. He was the first female impersonator to appear at the Royal Variety Performance for the Queen.

Following the death of his partner and manager, Jack Hanson, in 1984, La Rue developed a drinking problem and financial troubles, revealed in his 1987 autobiography, From Drags to Riches.

He suffered a stroke in 2006, but had a cameo on stage the following year at Benidorm Palace in Spain, appearing in a biographical show entitled Hello Danny. Jerry Lane played the role of La Rue.

Noël Coward once described La Rue as "the most professional, most witty and most utterly charming man in the business", while Bob Hope described him as "the most glamorous woman in the world".