<P> Lori Shannon (May 18, 1938 - February 13, 1984), born Don Seymour McLean, was an openly gay female impersonator who was associated with the drag revues at Finocchio's club in San Francisco . He wrote an entertainment column for the Bay Area Reporter . </P> <P> Shannon stood 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) in his heels and considered himself "a stand - up comic in a dress", who relished startling tourists with one - liners at Finocchio's . </P> <P> To the American television audience, Shannon was best known for portraying female impersonator Beverly LaSalle in three episodes of the CBS sitcom All in the Family . The episodes in which he appears are "Archie the Hero" (1975), "Beverly Rides Again" (1976), and "Edith's Crisis of Faith, Part 1" (1977). The character represented somewhat of a breakthrough, being the first instance of a drag queen being portrayed in a sympathetic light on U.S. television . </P> <P> On February 13, 1984 Shannon died of a heart attack at the age of 45 at Mission Emergency Hospital in San Francisco . </P>

Who played beverly on all in the family
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