Rumi Missabu, a legendary avant-garde drag performer and member of the iconic Cockettes troupe, passed away on April 2 at the age of 76. Known for their anarchic and glittery performances in San Francisco during the early 1970s, the Cockettes were a group of bohemian artists who lived communally and expressed themselves through extravagant costumes and theatrical shows.
Rumi, a drama student from Los Angeles, was a key member of the Cockettes, bringing a sense of self-assuredness and theatricality to the group. His performances, often done on acid, captivated audiences and critics alike, earning the Cockettes a reputation as pioneers of experimental theater and drag performance.
Despite the group’s brief but impactful run, the Cockettes disbanded in 1972, with Rumi going on to join the Angels of Light and continue performing in the Bay Area and New York City. After a period of obscurity, Rumi resurfaced in 1994 for a Cockettes reunion and spent the next three decades mentoring young performers and reviving the spirit of the group’s heyday.
Born James Allen Bartlett in Los Angeles, Rumi’s artistic journey led him to adopt the name Rumi in homage to the Sufi poet and embrace a life of creativity and self-expression. Survived by his sisters, Rumi’s legacy lives on through his archive, which he donated to The New York Public Library in 2015.
His final performance, a Kabuki extravaganza titled “Demon Pond,” showcased Rumi’s tenacity and creativity, leaving a lasting impact on all who witnessed it. As his friend Griffin Cloudwalker remarked, it was a fitting swan song for a true pioneer of the drag and performance art world.
