Leslie Jordan, beloved entertainer and East Tennessee native, dies at 67

Leslie Jordan, a small-sized entertainer with a mighty appetite for making a room laugh, died Monday after a car wreck in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. The East Tennessee native was 67.

“The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan. Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times,” a representative told AP Monday.

Jordan left Tennessee in 1982 to start a career in show business. But he didn't leave forever.

Known for his unique humor and charm, Jordan became a surprise viral sensation two years ago while quarantining in Chattanooga with his mom, Peggy Ann Jordan. Many of his Instagram videos featured her and chronicled life in the East Tennessee city.

Flamboyant and openly gay, Leslie said his mom always supported and accepted him while growing up in the late '50s and '60s. She always made their home in the South a safe space.

“When I got on the bus in 1982 to come to Hollywood, my mother told me, 'Always know that if it doesn't work out, you can come back to a standing ovation,'” he said.

Jordan’s mother Peggy Ann Jordan died earlier this year, and he shared with fans funny stories about their time together in Chattanooga.

One time when he was home visiting from Hollywood, Jordan told his mom that he was going to “catch up on my sleep” while he was there.

Peggy asked, “How did that happen?” Leslie repeated that he needed more sleep and his mom said, “No, how’d you get ketchup on your sleeve?”

With a newfound Internet fame, Jordan doubled down on his roots by cutting a gospel album. He enlisted a who's who of Nashville favorites to join him for the ride: Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Chris and Morgane Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Ashley McBryde, T.J. Osborne and Charlie Worsham helped make "Company's Comin'" a reality.

Behind the album, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut in May 2021.

"I wanted it to have a sound of everybody just sitting in the living room and saying, 'Oh, you remember this old hymn,’ the way my family did,” Jordan said in 2021. “My dad would pull out an old baritone ukulele, and my uncle would pull out his banjo, and as kids we’d sit there and sing along. It was wonderful to be able to revisit all those songs that I loved growing up."

Devarrick Turner of the Knoxville News Sentinel contributed.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Leslie Jordan, Will & Grace actor and East Tennessee native, dies at 67