Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
Gypsy Rose Lee made her claim to fame in the 1930s as a burlesque performer. She was dubbed an "intellectual stripper" because she did more talking than stripping. It was her ability to communicate with her audience while never getting nude that made her famous.
Rose delighted Madison residents on Jan. 27, 1947, when her Cadillac broke down while passing through town. While waiting on the repairs, Lee made the most of her time by shopping at several local businesses, which surely set the town ablaze with a conversation.
Lee was born in 1914, and with her mother's insistence, took to the vaudeville stage with her sister, June. Unfortunately, Lee did not share her sister's talent for singing and dancing, so things did not fare well for her in those early days. However, at 16, Lee was encouraged by a fellow performer who told her, "In this business, talent don't count for a hill of beans."
Rather than giving up, Lee changed course, and took to the burlesque stage with a new understanding of her talents. Her gift of communicating with her audience, without great singing or dancing, made her a sensation. Some of her competitors were critical of her success because they said she "doesn't even strip."
Lee went on to write two mystery novels and make several unsuccessful attempts to succeed on Broadway. Her memoir, "Gypsy," was adapted into a musical which starred Natalie Wood and Ethel Merman. Lee died in 1970 after battling lung cancer.
Much of the information for this article was taken from Tommy Greene's book, "Madison County: From the Beginning." The book is available for purchase at Greene Publishing, Inc., in Madison.