Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - An haife shi a cikin wani dangin baƙon Irish mai aiki a Tranmere, Cheshire, O'Grady ya koma London a ƙarshen 1970s, da farko yana aiki a matsayin jami'in kula da kulawa na Camden Council. A nan ne ya ci gaba da aikinsa a shekarar 1978, yana mai da halin Lily Savage a kan halayen da aka samu a tsakanin dangi mata. Tafiya ta Ingila a matsayin wani ɓangare na ƙungiyar wasan kwaikwayo na wasan kwaikwayo, Playgirls, O'Grady daga baya ya tafi solo a matsayin ɗan wasan kwaikwayo na tsaye. Yin wasan kwaikwayo a matsayin Savage na tsawon shekaru takwas a wani gidan shan giya na kudancin London, Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), ya sami shahararren mabiya tsakanin al'ummar 'yan luwadi na birni kuma ya yi amfani da halayensa don yin magana game da haƙƙin' yan luwadi. Bayan an zabi shi don kyautar Perrier ta 1992
, O'Grady ya jawo hankalin jama'a kuma ya yi shirye-shiryen talabijin, rediyo, da wasan kwaikwayo. A matsayin Savage, ya gabatar da nunin "Babban Abincin safe" (1995<unk>1996), "Blankety Blank" (1997<unk>2002), da "Lily Live!" (2000<unk>2001), yana samun kyaututtuka daban-daban kuma ya zama sanannen jama'a.