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 177
... trio clicked . " We woodshedded and built up a whole bunch of tunes , " said Kenny Richards . " Then the Billy Tipton Trio replaced Billy solo at the Elks Club , supposedly for two weeks , and stayed about a year . " As manager , Billy ...
... trio clicked . " We woodshedded and built up a whole bunch of tunes , " said Kenny Richards . " Then the Billy Tipton Trio replaced Billy solo at the Elks Club , supposedly for two weeks , and stayed about a year . " As manager , Billy ...
Page 191
... trio , now stabi- lized and seasoned by months on the road , was receiving good word - of- mouth reviews from both customers and managers . The bookings had improved too . No more one - night stands at what Betty called " har - de- har ...
... trio , now stabi- lized and seasoned by months on the road , was receiving good word - of- mouth reviews from both customers and managers . The bookings had improved too . No more one - night stands at what Betty called " har - de- har ...
Page 204
... trio . " Well , I'm from California , and you recog- nize these things , ” she explained . “ After I met Billy , I ... trio sometimes in there , a very good trio . I was thrilled to hear somebody playing my kind of music . My friends ...
... trio . " Well , I'm from California , and you recog- nize these things , ” she explained . “ After I met Billy , I ... trio sometimes in there , a very good trio . I was thrilled to hear somebody playing my kind of music . My friends ...
Contents
But Who Was She? 18891928 | 13 |
Kansas City 19291932 | 33 |
19331940 | 47 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
asked band became began Bess Betty Bill Billy Tipton Billy's body booked boys brother called Carrie claimed clothes Club couple dance Dave death didn't Dorothy Dorothy's dressed Earl father female friends gave George girl hand interview with DM jazz Joplin June Kansas City keep kids kind Kitty knew later letters lived look male married Maryann Mayer mother moved musicians needed never night nightclub Norma Oklahoma City once performed person piano player playing radio recalled records Reggie Reggie's remembered road role seemed sister Sobol social Spokane started stayed story Swing talk tell things thought told took town trio trying turned wanted wearing week wife woman women wrote young