Johnson, Ken (Kandy)

Ken (Kandy) Johnson (1935-2010)

Kandy Johnson was the drag persona of Ken Johnson. By the early 1960s, Kandy was performing in drag at parties. He transferred drag performances to stage shows at the Surf City Night Spot in Kings Cross and later to a venue he opened in Enmore, an inner western suburb, called Kandy’s Garden of Eden aka Kandy’s Coffee House. He became a partner in the Purple Onion in 1967, which became the place to go for the late night 1960s camp set, international celebrities visiting Sydney and Sydney’s demimonde.
Photo: Supplied/Ken Johnson

Oral history recordings

Interview summary

Automated transcripts of our oral history interviews are available to researchers on request. For access, please contact us, stating the name of the interviewee, date of interview, and your purpose of use.

JPride History GroupSeptember 20, 2020Drag, Purple Onion, Garden of Eden