Gypsy Rose Lee

Gypsy Rose Lee, famous for her striptease was an American burlesque artist. She was borne on January 8, 1911 in Seattle and died on April 26, 1970. Apart from her fame as a dancer she was an actress, author and playwright as well. In a musical film Gypsy, her memory was rewritten in 1957. Her real name was Rosa Louise Hovick however, she was first known by her first name, Louise.   Her mother, Rose Hovick was married to Norwegian and American John Olaf Hovick, who was working in Seattle Times as reporter.
Her parents got divorced. Gypsy Rose Lee and her sister started supporting the family by appearing in vaudeville. Louise remained at the backstage most of the time in the beginning. Louise singing and dancing talents were insufficient for the act without June, her sister who had already eloped. She finally decided to make money in burlesque, which earned him legendary status as a striptease artist. An accident in the beginning pushed her career forward. Her shoulder strap on one of her dresses slipped, causing her dress to fall at her feet. She was still encouraged by audience reaction and continued to go round and round. This innovation on her part has been named as casual strip style something away from the erratic styles of most burlesque strippers.
She changed her stage name as Gypsy Rose Lee and became one of the biggest stars of Minsky’s Burlesque. In 1969 she was diagnosed as suffering from lung cancer. Her sufferings led her to reconcile with June before death. She was a big supporter of the Popular Front in the Spanish Civil War and raised money for charity to alleviate the suffering of children during the Spanish conflict. She is buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.