Bruz Fletcher (March 12, 1906 – February 8, 1941) was a singer in Los Angeles, California, during the

Pansy Craze The Pansy Craze was an American national queer movement. During the Pansy Craze of 1930–1933 (however the exact dates are debated), drag queens, known as "pansy performers", experienced a surge in underground popularity, especially in Los Angel ...

. Born in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, Fletcher gained fame as a singer at Club Bali, a popular nightclub during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Fletcher was openly gay and lived with his partner

Casey Roberts Casey Roberts (May 9, 1901 – May 29, 1949) was an American set decorator. He was nominated for three Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction. He was born in Illinois and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography Robe ...

Early life

Fletcher was born to Stoughton A. Fletcher and Mae Henley Fletcher, who were one of the richest families in Indiana at the time. When Fletcher was a child, his mother and grandmother ended their lives in a double suicide. His sister, Louisa Fletcher, made headlines after being left at the altar of her wedding to a German count. Fletcher attended

Howe Military Academy Howe Military Academy was a private, co-educational and college preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Howe, Indiana Howe is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lima Township, LaGrange County, Indiana. As ...

and

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

and moved to Los Angeles in 1926.

Career

Fletcher, known as the "Singing Satirist", was known for lyrics that were often gay coded. In 1935, Fletcher was hired to perform at Club Bali on

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...

for two weeks. After proving a popular draw, however, he remained at the club for over four years, performing for stars such as

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, and

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

. Fletcher wrote two books and several plays.

Personal life

Fletcher was openly gay, and his living arrangements with his partner Casey Roberts were openly written about in Hollywood newspapers at the time. In 1941, Fletcher died by suicide at the age of 34.

References

{{authority control 1906 births 1941 deaths 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers Gay singers American gay musicians LGBT people from Indiana Indiana University Bloomington alumni Suicides in California