When: Saturday, October 10, 2026 · 2:00 PM
What: The City of Fountains Sisters joined Kansas City in celebrating the life of Melinda Ryder.
Remembering Melinda
Melinda Ryder, the stage persona of Bruce Winter, entertained Kansas City for more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s when a drag booking was hard-won. Known as the matron and heart of Hamburger Mary’s Kansas City, she and Kirk, her partner of 50 years, hosted Drag Bingo nights that raised money for cancer research, local charities and nonprofits, and she mentored generations of local performers.
She donated pieces of her career to the Kansas City Museum, lent her voice to the KC Rainbow Tour, and her story is preserved in the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Mid-America (GLAMA) at UMKC. Melinda died in September 2026 after a battle with cancer.
Earlier this year the Sisters manifested at the fundraiser for Melinda at Missie B’s.