Blaze Starr (born Fannie Belle Fleming; April 10, 1932 – June 15, 2015) was an American
stripper
A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event.
M ...
and
burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. star. Her vivacious presence and inventive use of
stage props earned her the nickname "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque". She was also known for her affair with Louisiana Governor
Earl Kemp Long
Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and the 45th governor of Louisiana, serving three nonconsecutive terms. Long, known as "Uncle Earl", connected with voters through his folksy demeanor and c ...
. Based on her memoir ''Blaze Starr! My Life as Told to Huey Perry'' (published in 1974), the 1989 film ''
Blaze'' told the story of that affair starring
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
as Long and
Lolita Davidovich
Lolita Davidovich ( sr-Latn, Lolita Davidović, italic=unset; born July 15, 1961) is a Canadian-born film and television actress, best known for portraying Blaze Starr in the 1989 film '' Blaze'', for which she received a Chicago Film Critics Ass ...
as Starr, with Starr herself acting in a cameo role and as a consultant.
Early life
Starr was born on April 10, 1932, in rural
Wayne County, West Virginia
Wayne County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,982. Its county seat is Wayne. The county was founded in 1842 and named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
Wayne County ...
, along
Twelvepole Creek
Twelvepole Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 26, 2011 river located in Wayne County, West Virginia. It is part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of ...
,
(also spelled Twelve Pole Creek)[ the second eldest of 11 siblings] born to Lora (née Evans) and Goodlow Fleming.[ Gives spelling as "Twelve Pole Creek" and "New Ground Hollow".]
Reared in the Newground Hollow[ (also spelled New Ground Hollow)][ area of ]Wilsondale, West Virginia
Wilsondale is an unincorporated community located in southern Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. Wilsondale has a post office with ZIP code 25699; as of the 2000 Census, the population of this ZIP Code Tabulation Area was 74. It is a p ...
,[Newground Hollow is an area of Wilsondale per ] she left home at either age 14[ or 15,] claiming to have suffered a gang rape during her teenage years.[ ] She first moved to Logan, West Virginia
Logan is a city in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along the Guyandotte River. The population was 1,438 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Logan County.
History
What is now Logan was initially called "Islands of the Guyandot" ...
, working as a carhop
A carhop is a waiter or waitress who brings fast food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants. Carhops usually work on foot but sometimes use roller skates, as depicted in movies such as ''American Graffiti'' and television shows such as ...
, and then from there to Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, where, according to her autobiography, she was discovered by a promoter while she was employed in a doughnut
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franc ...
shop.
She recalled:
Snyder became Fleming's first manager, encouraged her to start stripping, and gave her the stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Blaze Starr.
Career
Starr moved to Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, where she began performing at the Two O'Clock Club nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
in 1950. She eventually became its headliner. She rose to national renown after she was profiled in a February 1954 ''Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' magazine article, "B-Belles of Burlesque: You Get Strip Tease With Your Beer in Baltimore". The Two O'Clock Club remained her home base, but she began to travel and perform in clubs throughout the country.
Starr's striking red hair, voluptuous figure and on-stage enthusiasm were a large part of her appeal. The theatrical flourishes and unique gimmicks she used in her stage show went beyond established burlesque routines like the fan dance and balloon dance. She often performed with dangerous cats, including a baby black panther.[
Her trademark routine was "the exploding couch". As she explained in 1989, "I had finally got my gimmick, a comedy thing where I'm supposed to be getting so worked up that I stretch out on the couch, and — when I push a secret button — smoke starts coming out from like between my legs. Then a fan and a floodlight come on, and you see all these red silk streamers blowing, shaped just like flames, so it looked like the couch had just burst into fire."][
Blaze was arrested more than once. The first time was in ]Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, for lewdness, by a young police officer, Frank Rizzo
Francis Lazarro Rizzo (October 23, 1920 – July 16, 1991) was an American police officer and politician. He served as Philadelphia police commissioner from 1968 to 1971 and mayor of Philadelphia from 1972 to 1980. He was a member of the Democr ...
, who would later become that city's police commissioner and mayor. Another time was in .[
In 1968, Starr bought the Two O'Clock Club on The Block in ]Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, which at the time was valued at 65,000 dollars. She continued to perform in the club. In the early 1980s, Starr made an appearance at the Mitchell Brothers
Brothers James Lloyd "Jim" Mitchell (November 30, 1943 in Stockton, California – July 12, 2007 in Petaluma, California) and Artie Jay Mitchell (December 17, 1945 in Lodi, California – February 27, 1991 in Marin County, California) were Amer ...
' O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
.
Relationship with Louisiana Governor Earl Long
In the late 1950s, while briefly working at the Sho-Bar on Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street (french: Rue Bourbon, es, Calle de Borbón) is a historic street in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Extending thirteen blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars an ...
in the French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Squ ...
of , Starr began a long-term affair with then-governor Earl Long. Starr was in the process of divorcing her husband, club owner Carroll Glorioso, and Long was married to the state's first lady, known colloquially as " Miz Blanche".
Media appearances
Two of Starr's performances, including the combustible sofa, are among the burlesque routines featured in the 1956 compilation film ''Buxom Beautease'', produced and directed by Irving Klaw
Irving Klaw (November 9, 1910 – September 3, 1966), self-named the "Pin-up King",Pérez Seves, ''Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground'', p. 28. was an influential Jewish-American merchant of sexploitation, fetish, and Hollywoo ...
. Director Doris Wishman
Doris Wishman (June 1, 1912 August 10, 2002) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is credited with having directed and produced at least 30 feature films during a career spanning over four decades, most notably in the ...
's 1962 film ''Blaze Starr Goes Nudist
''Blaze Starr Goes Nudist'' is a 1962 nudist film, produced and directed by Doris Wishman. The film stars legendary burlesque queen Blaze Starr and crooner Ralph Young (as "Russ Martine").
The film was also released under the bowdlerized tit ...
,'' a nudie-sexploitation
A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit s ...
film, features Starr's one lead movie role. As the title suggests, she plays herself. The film is also known as ''Blaze Starr Goes Back to Nature'', ''Blaze Starr Goes Wild'', ''Blaze Starr the Original'', and ''Busting Out.''
Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus (; née Nemerov; March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971
" The New York ...
photographed Starr in 1964. The photo "Blaze Starr at home" was included in the book and traveling exhibit ''Diane Arbus: Family Albums''.
The 1989 movie '' Blaze'' recounted the story of her and Long's relationship. The film was directed by Ron Shelton
Ronald Wayne Shelton (born September 15, 1945) is an American film director and screenwriter and former minor league baseball infielder. Shelton is known for the many films he has made about sports. His 1988 film ''Bull Durham'', based in part on ...
, adapted by him from Starr's memoir ''Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry'' (1974), and starred Lolita Davidovich
Lolita Davidovich ( sr-Latn, Lolita Davidović, italic=unset; born July 15, 1961) is a Canadian-born film and television actress, best known for portraying Blaze Starr in the 1989 film '' Blaze'', for which she received a Chicago Film Critics Ass ...
as Starr and Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
as Long. Starr herself appeared in a cameo role
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
and acted as consultant, earning four percent of the film's profits.
Some of Starr's costumes and other memorabilia have been displayed at the Museum of Sex
The Museum of Sex, also known as MoSex, is a sex museum located at 233 Fifth Avenue at the corner of East 27th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It opened on October 5, 2002.
History
Founder Daniel Gluck wanted to start a museum dedicated t ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and the Burlesque Hall of Fame
The Burlesque Hall of Fame (BHOF) is the world's only museum dedicated to the history, preservation, and future of the art of burlesque. Located in the Las Vegas Arts district at 1027 S Main st. #110, BHOF is a tourist destination and non-pro ...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
.
Retirement and personal life
Semi-retired since 1975, Starr finally retired from stripping for good in 1983 to become a full-time gemologist
Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identif ...
, an occupation in which she had dabbled in part-time since 1975 and had spent several holiday seasons selling hand-crafted jewelry at the Carrolltowne Mall
Carrolltowne is an unincorporated community in Carroll County, Maryland, United States.
Transportation
The Owings Mills station of the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink in nearby Owings Mills, Baltimore County
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ...
in Eldersburg, near Baltimore.
Starr was a first cousin of singer Molly O'Day
Molly O'Day (born Suzanne Dobson Noonan; October 16, 1909 – October 22, 1998) was an American film actress and the younger sister of Sally O'Neil.
Biography
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, she was the youngest of 11 children of Judge Tho ...
.
Death
Starr died June 15, 2015, either at her home in Wilsondale, West Virginia
Wilsondale is an unincorporated community located in southern Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. Wilsondale has a post office with ZIP code 25699; as of the 2000 Census, the population of this ZIP Code Tabulation Area was 74. It is a p ...
, or at a hospital in nearby Williamson (sources vary).[ She was 83 years old. She had been worried about the health of her dog, whom she adopted as a stray. One of her sisters claimed the stress, along with a "severe heart condition", killed her. Her dog died hours later.]
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Starr, Blaze
1932 births
2015 deaths
American female erotic dancers
American erotic dancers
American female models
American vedettes
American burlesque performers
People from Mingo County, West Virginia
People from Wayne County, West Virginia
People from New Orleans
Long family
People from Baltimore