With the recent bans on drag performers, including a law being considered by the Missouri state legislature, Kansas City public radio station KCUR took a look at the history of female impersonator performances in the city. Ray is briefly mentioned in the article with his work at the Jewel Box. It provides good context for … Continue reading Background on drag history in Kansas City
Author: randcoolcatdaddy
Ray’s album featured on Queerty
Recently, Query's regular Retro Record column featured Ray's album, Let Me Tell You About My Operation. Check it out here.
Ray Bourbon in 1937 Columbia Short
Some time ago, I ran into a reference on pages 67-68 of James L. Neibaur's The Andy Clyde Columbia Comedies noting Ray in the cast of the 1937 Andy Clyde short, "He Done His Duty". Through the generosity of a film collector, I was finally able to view the short and confirmed that, indeed, Ray … Continue reading Ray Bourbon in 1937 Columbia Short
Film Footage of Ray’s Contemporary, Julian Eltinge
A female impersonator that had a bright career on stage and films a few years before Ray Bourbon was Julian Eltinge. He made his first appearance on Broadway in 1904, gave a command performance for Edward VII, and appeared in a series of musical comedies written especially for him. He was one of the highest … Continue reading Film Footage of Ray’s Contemporary, Julian Eltinge
Ray’s Childhood, Part 3: An Invented Past
In our previous posts [part 1 and part 2] in this series, we looked at new research by Charles Cage revealing Ray Bourbon’s real name and some basic facts about his family and where he grew up. In this last post in the series, we look at the stories Ray told about his own life, … Continue reading Ray’s Childhood, Part 3: An Invented Past
Ray’s Childhood, Part 2: The Real Story
This is the second in a series of three blog posts. You can go back to part one or skip to part three. In our previous post in this series, we looked at new research by Charles C. Cage revealing Ray Bourbon’s real name and some basic facts about his family and where he grew … Continue reading Ray’s Childhood, Part 2: The Real Story
Ray’s Childhood, Part 1: New Revelations
This is the first in a series of three blog posts. You can skip directly to part two or part three. Over the past few years, I’ve been examining Ray’s unfinished autobiography and stories he told close friends and digging through magazine and newspaper articles and other documents to verify - or dispute - Ray’s … Continue reading Ray’s Childhood, Part 1: New Revelations
New Candid Film Footage of Ray’s Friend, Egyptian Star Samia Gamal
A few months ago, I published a blog post telling the story of Ray's friendship with Egyptian movie star Samia Gamal. Gamal was declared the “The National Dancer of Egypt” by King Farouk in 1949, which led to a nightclub tour by her in the US the following year, setting off interest in "belly dancing" in … Continue reading New Candid Film Footage of Ray’s Friend, Egyptian Star Samia Gamal
What Was It Like to Visit Ray Bourbon’s Nightclub?
While we have about ten hours of Ray’s recordings and some first-hand accounts from people who knew or worked with him, we don’t know much about the experience of seeing Ray in person at a nightclub. In this post, we one brief account I stumbled into at archive.org. The “Argonauts” is an obscure travel book … Continue reading What Was It Like to Visit Ray Bourbon’s Nightclub?
“Daddy Was a Lady”: The Surreal Story of Ray Bourbon’s Aborted Broadway Comeback
When I first started researching Ray Bourbon in the 1990s, I kept hearing about something called “Daddy Was a Lady”. At first, it seemed as though it might have been the proposed title for Ray’s unfinished memoirs. Or perhaps some kind of solo revue or autobiographical show. A few years later, when I obtained letters … Continue reading “Daddy Was a Lady”: The Surreal Story of Ray Bourbon’s Aborted Broadway Comeback
Don't Call Me Madam 