Happy Birthday, Dixie Evans!
Happy Birthday, Dixie Evans! If you've ever heard of The Burlesque Hall of Fame, it's Dixie you have to thank. She took over the burlesque museum, Exotic World, when it was a ranch in the middle of the desert, and kept it going by starting the Miss Exotic World Pageant. This museum and event became The Burlesque Hall of Fame and The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender you'll often hear referred to as BHoF. She and Jennie were ahead of their time, demanding recognition, respect, and rights for strippers, and crediting the influence of strippers on popular culture in a way many people weren't prepared to appreciate. They were activists and advocates and we owe them so much. Dixie was one of my personal mentors, and one of the most powerful things she taught me was to welcome everyone. She always loved the history of burlesque, and celebrated new performers as the future of burlesque. Just a few months before she died I got to sit with her and tell her how I had traveled al...