Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton"Suits Me is the biography of a now notorious jazz musician named Billy Tipton, who grew up as Dorothy Tipton in Oklahoma City and Kansas City but lived as a man from the time she was nineteen until she died at age seventy-four. Billy Tipton's death in Spokane, Washington, made news all over the world, not because he was celebrated as a musician but because the scale of his deception - he had been "married" to five women and had reared several adopted children - and the scarcity of ready explanations endowed the skimpy available facts with the aura of myth." "But locked away in Billy's office closet lay files of clippings and photographs documenting the transformation of Billy from she to he, as well as a legacy of annotated comic routines, musical arrangements, and program notes. These revealed to Diane Wood Middlebrook how Billy scattered clues and riddles night after night about the drag she wore. These hints were so bold that they helped conceal Billy's secrets." "With brio and pathos, Suits Me tells the life story of this brilliant deceiver, who lived and loved in two skins, one of each sex."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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Page 143
... Betty remembered . “ Billy had a funny lopsided smile and always found the humor in something . He was a nice , nice person to talk to . " When Billy and Betty met , in 1946 , June Tipton was still singing with Billy's group at the ...
... Betty remembered . “ Billy had a funny lopsided smile and always found the humor in something . He was a nice , nice person to talk to . " When Billy and Betty met , in 1946 , June Tipton was still singing with Billy's group at the ...
Page 149
... Betty's confidence in Billy's masculinity made it possible for him to add to his repertory the gratifying role of the good son . ( Interestingly , Billy's desire to play the role of a man was surpris- ingly common among American women ...
... Betty's confidence in Billy's masculinity made it possible for him to add to his repertory the gratifying role of the good son . ( Interestingly , Billy's desire to play the role of a man was surpris- ingly common among American women ...
Page 179
... Betty , the dogs were the children . In fact , Billy occasionally referred to them as " the kids " just to get checked into a motel . Sometimes it worked . By the end of November , the Billy Tipton Trio was receiving invita- tions for ...
... Betty , the dogs were the children . In fact , Billy occasionally referred to them as " the kids " just to get checked into a motel . Sometimes it worked . By the end of November , the Billy Tipton Trio was receiving invita- tions for ...
Contents
But Who Was She? 18891928 12 | 12 |
Kansas City 19291932 | 33 |
The In Sex 19331934 | 49 |
Copyright | |
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band bandstand Banner Cavaliers began Benny Goodman Betty Cox Bill Pierson Billy booked Billy Tipton Billy Tipton Trio Billy's death boys brother Buck called Clarence Cagle Cotton Club cousins cross-dressing dance Dave Sobol Dick O'Neil Dorothy Dorothy's dressed Earl Eilene entertainment father female George Mayer Gerry Everding girl high school Hotel interview with DM jazz joke Joplin June Kansas City kids Kitty Kelly Kitty Oakes Kitty's knew lesbian Lew Raines lived look Madeline married Mary Lou Williams masculine mother movie musicians never night nightclub Non Earl Norma Teagarden Oklahoma City Paul Jensen person radio recalled records Reggie Reggie's remembered role Ron Kilde saxophone Spokane story Swing talk Teddy Wilson telephone interview things Thomas Tipton thought Tipton to Kitty told took town W. T. Tipton wanted wife William woman women