Background on drag history in Kansas City

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

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

Ray Bourbon Images at the Los Angeles Public Library

Images of Ray Bourbon are fairly hard to come by. According to friends and people who knew him, Ray had a large collection of scrapbooks and even carried around a tape machine and used it to record or try out routines.  But, when he was arrested for murder, all his personal effects were, quite literally, … Continue reading Ray Bourbon Images at the Los Angeles Public Library