Drag star Reign Michaels was 'nothing short of incredible,' friends say
Icon of St. John's drag community died last week at 30
Reign Michaels knew how to make a scene — and so did Johnny Nichol, who, like his drag persona, became a pillar of the downtown scene in St. John's, and whose grieving friends are remembering a spirit with a bright light.
"Every time you'd see them, they would leave you with a kiss, or a hug, or tell you how amazing you were," said friend and drag queen Mitchell White, who performs as Ophelia Delight.
"After seeing them, within 20 to 30 minutes of them going home, you'd receive a message telling you how grateful they were to have you in their life and how glad they were that they found a community and a family like us."
Nichol, 30, who died Sept. 28, made Reign Michaels an unforgettable presence on stage.
"Reign was nothing short of incredible," White said Thursday, when the St. John's Morning Show convened a panel of drag peers to discuss the loss of their friend.
"They were a light for all of us. They lit up any room they walked into. The stage was their happy place."
Nichol didn't do it all on his own. The Reign Michaels persona came from a supportive and loving community, friends said.
I knew from that moment on I had created a fierce, fierce drag queen.- Dakota Blake
Dakota Blake, who performs as Misty Manifest, was Michaels's drag mother, or mentor. He said he met Nichol in 2017 through friends. After Nichol expressed an interest in drag, Blake provided a makeover, and then saw an immediate shift in Nichol.
"I just saw a light turn on inside of him. I knew from that moment on I had created a fierce, fierce drag queen."
Michaels was a frequent and skilled performer, often gracing the stage of Velvet Nightclub and Lounge. In 2023, she won the Drag on George Lip Sync Battle.
"Any show you were in with Reign, you had to watch out because Reign's performances were next level," White said.
"In the last few years, Reign has not only conquered the local drag scene, but she's won the hearts of anyone who's seen her show," White said. "At a Reign Michaels show, you'd see her jumping off a six-foot stage in a gown. She might be climbing the railing of a stage … She was a really charismatic performer."
Out of drag, Nichol was equally loved.
"He was a firecracker," Blake said. "Johnny had no filter. If there was something on his mind that he wanted to say, he would say it."
White added, "He was authentically himself."
Nichol's death was a shock to friends.
"It's been heavy. No one expected it," Blake said. "Had we known that Johnny/Reign was going through this, I feel like she would know that she had the support. It's hard to struggle alone."
'Reign Michaels lives on in 6 bodies'
The community has rallied around Nichol's loved ones. "The community is healing," said Blake. "We're coming along, but it's still really heavy on all of us."
Six of Nichol's organs were donated and successfully transplanted, White said.
"It's a bit of light in our dark time, but it almost gives us hope to know that Reign Michaels lives on in six bodies," White said. "They were a selfless person. In their darkest time they still helped six new people find life."
"To know that part of him is out there still, and his heart is still beating, is just amazing," said friend and drag queen Kelsey Piercey, who performs as Divine Diamond.
A GoFundMe campaign is collecting funds to support Nichol's family.
On Friday night, a benefit at Velvet Night Club and Lounge will pay tribute to Reign Michaels, with all funds directed to the family.
"We're going to perform and do exactly what Reign Michaels loved to do," said White. "She could do it all, really. Anything she put her mind to, she would succeed."
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With files from The St. John's Morning Show
