Salah Bachir is a Lebanese-born entrepreneur, author, LGBTQ activist, and philanthropist currently residing in Toronto, Canada. He is the founder of the multimedia company Phamous Characters, which has made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. Bachir has been featured in numerous prestigious publications, including The Globe & Mail, Playback Magazine, Dolce, and Toronto Life.

Bachir’s memoir, “First To Leave The Party: My Life with Ordinary People … Who Happen to be Famous,” is an autobiography that delves into his life and experiences with some of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities like Marlon Brando, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more. As a passionate philanthropist, he has hosted over 100 charities galas and is an active member of the LGBTQ community, having been the two-time Grand Marshal of the Toronto Pride Parade. I had the opportunity to speak with Bachir about his extraordinary life, accomplishments, and experiences.


Peebles: Salah, you have done so much in your life. You’ve been around the world and have met so many people. How did you get started?
Salah: I think it’s simple. You do it with friends and people. The people just happened to be celebrities and we bonded over normal little things. I was just doing my job and I have always been one of those people who have never played by the rules. Rules always boxed people in. During that time, I had a magazine, and I needed a story. Most celebrities are a lot of work but that’s in the book and that’s how it all started.

Peebles: I can agree that most celebrities are a lot of work. What was your most memorable moment with a celebrity?
Salah: There were so many I can’t tell them all but, I had a great encounter with Ella Fitzgerald. It was the type of relationship most people thought of as a mother-and-son relationship. She had played in Lebanon, where I’m from,and loved Lebanese food. She asked where she could get some. I let her know my mom made the best, so I started bringing her my mom’s food and that’s how our relationship grew as friends. Also, every time she came to Toronto, she loved singing to the inner city kids even though some of the kids didn’t know who she was. It was a day out of school to hear this legend sing to them.

Peebles: I would have considered it an honor to be in her presence. How did you feel about her?
Salah: My friend brought me her handbag to keep. She used to joke and say, “This is the only thing that goes everywhere with me, it’s more dependable than any man.” It’s very special to me as well as her friendship.

Peebles: Salah, tell me about your memoir First To Leave The Party: My Life with Ordinary People … Who Happen to be Famous, why did you write the book?
Salah: I had a few health issues that come with getting older and during that time I almost died. So there were stories I hadn’t written. At first, it was for family and friends, but it grew into becoming this book. I wanted to tell it uniquely not just by saying “I started here, doing this or that” but through my interactions with different people. The book is also unique in the sense that you can open any chapter and read it so you don’t have to read it in any order. You can open the book and read a chapter on Elizabeth Taylor or a chapter on Marlon Brando. In the chapters, you can read about the celebrities and what they did as a celebrity along with their foundations, charity work, and what they stood for. Also, there’s a little bit about me, so by the end of it you read more about me than others. It’s uniquely done.


Peebles: When you wrote the book you were facing some health challenges. What type of health issues were you facing?
Salah: I had a kidney transplant along with 7 years of dialysis. During that time, I also contracted sepsis. They had to cut me open and put a bag on the outside during COVID but later went back in and did a reversal. But today I’m doing well.

Peebles: I’m glad you’re doing much better. I also understand you have a passion for art tell me about that.
Salah: Yes, I’m passionate about art. My husband is an artist, so we have about 3000 pieces of artwork. We have put artwork in people’s houses, and we have also donated a lot of art. This year we have donated about 1000 pieces of artwork to galleries, hospitals, community centers, and universities.

Peebles: Salah that’s impressive! Keep up the good work. You are a proud member of the LGBTQ community how did you come out?
Salah: It was the easiest process of coming out ever. I think my parents already knew. They may have tried not to know but, when I came out, I told my dad. He told me not to tell my mom but, I had already told her. My mom said something so beautiful. She said: “I hope you have a child that is as nice to you as you have been to us.” They always knew even though I played football, hockey, and all that stuff in school. There is a perception in the Arab world that we’re all the same way. For example we’re very open, chic, and like a lot of French fashion. But a lot of other places are accepting of the LGBTQ community. With certain religions, they want to impose their views on everyone else. I knew I was gay around eight years old but, all my family knew and were very supportive.

Peebles: So, Salah with all that you have done throughout your career what has been the most challenging?
Salah: Being me and not being ignored. Say for instance you can be the most successful person in the board room who has raised money for a billion-dollar charity. But people don’t want to hear what you have to say because of the prejudices you face for being gay. A lot of people of color and people who are different have the same experiences we have. You never rise to a higher level in the corporate world due to these prejudices. It doesn’t hurt because I don’t let them have that kind of power over me.

Peebles: Salah you have done so much where do you go from here?
Salah: I’m doing a couple of capital campaigns. We have an indigenous group close to us which is six nations coming together to help with the campaign. I’m doing a campaign on healthcare with a major hospital and we received a billion-dollar gift to build a new hospital. I’m also, working on some things in the Middle East. I keep doing the same things to help. There’s no need to change what I’m doing.

To learn more about Salah Bachir’s accomplishments and his ongoing work in the LGBTQ community, one can visit his website at https://salahbachir.com. The website provides an overview of his various achievements and offers insight into his passion for advocating for LGBTQ rights and equality. His book First To Leave The Party: My Life with Ordinary People … Who Happen to be Famous can be purchased on Amazon.

Photography Credit: George Pimentel