#dixieevans

“I like to say that though I became a stripper, I am from aristocracy,” Dixie Evans tells me.  Dixie loves telling stories about her ancestry.  Early on while collecting Dixie’s stories, she gave m...

(Above, Dixie Evans, The Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque)

“ I love the boys, the girls, all the movers and shakers who come to our show”. Never was there a truer sentence uttered, though this just happened to come from one of the biggest legends names in burlesque herself, Dixie Evans. Known as the “Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque”, Evans has left a legacy as one of the most cherished legends of burlesque.

Evans started in show business as a model and chorus girl before becoming the burlesque dancer everyone would later recognize. In the 1950’s, she headlined burlesque shows on the West coast and was approached by famed producer Harold Minsky. Minsky promised Evans steady work in his theater if she adapted her stage persona to Marilyn Monroe. In the beginning, Evans objected but soon agreed to the style change and Evans's Monroe-burlesque act became one of her signature numbers.

(Above, Dixie Evans performing at Burlesque Hall of Fame)

Evan’s took over the annual meetings of Exotic Dancers League Lee after the death of the groups founder Jennie Lee. The Exotic Dancers League was the reunion of burlesque dancers. She began Exotic World, a burlesque collectible museum, which then evolved into The Burlesque Hall of Fame and the annual Miss Exotic World Pageant.

(Above, an early photo of Dixie)

Sadly, Evans passed on August 3rd, 2013. Many felt that more should be done to celebrate Evan’s name, which led to The Dixie Evans Week fundraiser. The fundraiser was created in tandem with The Dixie Evans Week (held August 26th to September 1st) by a volunteer team of writers, educators, performers, and producers: Angie Pontani, Jo “Boobs” Weldon, Baby Doe von Stroheim, Dr. Lucky, Kitten DeVille, David Bishop, Michelle Bishop, and Shoshana Portnoy. With the help of this fabulous committee and the burlesque community at large, the Dixie Evans Week fundraiser was able to meet it’s 40,000 goal by way of online donations, 30 live performances, and over 100 classes, all in the name of Dixie. Not only will Evan’s medical expenses be able to be paid, but she will also able to be given a memorial ceremony, and a final resting place at Westwood Cemetery Room of Prayer.

The campaign raised more than it’s intended goal and Dixie will now be honored the way she was always meant to be.

From Jo Weldon:

"A few years ago I was onstage in Las Vegas, part of a red, white, and blue lineup put together by Julie Atlas Muz to pay tribute to the way the Miss Exotic World pageant always started on the goat farm in Helendale. We were all waiting for the curtain to open. Dixie Evans was standing centerstage in a gown and boa, supported by World Famous BOB. I was on the end of the line, which curved around from the back of the stage. I had a great view of Dixie from the side. She shifted her boa onto her shoulders and just then the stage lights came on behind the curtain. As soon as the light hit her face, she stood up straighter, raised her chin, and smiled a huge showgirl smile. The curtain opened and the audience went nuts. It has always stayed with me, the way she transformed under those stage lights. She gave light back."

To find out more on Dixie Evans Week and the Dixie Evans Week fundraiser, please visit the Dixie Evans fundraiser, which ended officially January 31st, or, visit DixieEvansWeek.com.

You can also find out more on Dixie Evans on our Facebook page, Dixie Evans, The Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque.