Blaze Starr

Blaze Starr
at Hutzler's Department Store, 1974
Born	Fannie Belle Fleming (1932-04-10)April 10, 1932 Wayne County, West Virginia, U.S.
Died	June 15, 2015(2015-06-15) (aged 83) Wilsondale, West Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Stripper, American burlesque star, nude model, actress, comedian, gemologist
Years active	1950-1983, as stripper 1956-1989 (in several mostly cameo appearances) as actress 1989-2015 (as gemologist)
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Spouse	Carroll Glorioso

Blaze Starr (born Fannie Belle Fleming; 10 April 1932 – 15 June 2015) was an American stripper and burlesque star. In the 1950s, she became well known in the United States. Besides her burlesque dancing, her affair with Governor Earl Long of the state of Louisiana got her more popularity.

Early life

Starr was born in rural Wayne County, West Virginia. She lived in Washington, D.C. and in Baltimore, Maryland during her youth.

Affair with the Governor

When Blaze Starr first met Governor Long in 1958, her first feeling was fear. She was afraid she was going to jail when the Governor of Louisiana walked in with the police during a dance. When the Governor and the police gave Blaze a standing ovation, she was dumbfounded. Blaze had never known a politician who went to a show bar for any reason other than to cause the dancers trouble. After her show, the Governor asked for her to come to his table. They became friends.

Their relationship quickly grew into a love affair. Soon coworkers, reporters, and voters all knew of the affair. Mrs. Blanche Long, the Governor's wife, told hospital people that Earl was crazy and had him put away. She thought this would make Earl end the affair with Blaze. The affair continued until the day Earl died in 1960.

Her life was exciting and full of adventures. In the 1950s, stripping was more of an art form. It was not just women taking off their clothes to get men into bed. Blaze was close to her family. Blaze met her perfect match when she met Earl. He accepted her life style and she accepted his. They fulfilled each other's needs for companionship, compassion, and love.

Death

Starr died on June 15, 2015 at her home in Wilsondale, West Virginia.^[1][2] She was 83 years old. She had been worried about the health of her dog, whom she adopted as a stray. Her sister, Cathy Fleming, believed this stress, along with a "severe heart condition", killed her. Her dog died hours later.^[3]

References

1. Mattise, Jonathan; Nuckols, Ben (June 15, 2015). "Blaze Starr, burlesque dancer linked to governor, dead at 83". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
2. Nyden, Paul (June 15, 2015). "WV native, burlesque performer Blaze Starr dies at 83". Charleston Gazette. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
3. "Burlesque dancer Blaze Starr dies at 83". Baltimore Sun. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015.

Other websites

• Blaze Star Gems Archived 2013-05-18 at the Wayback Machine (official site)
• Blaze Starr on IMDb