Died on this day: doyenne of burlesque, Rita Hayworth lookalike and undisputed Queen of Exotic Dancers Miss Tempest Storm (née Annie Blanche Banks, 29 February 1928 – 20 April 2021). The death of “the torrid tornado from out West” aged 93 conclusively ends a chapter in strip-tease history (Storm outlived all her contemporaries including Russ Meyer, Bettie Page and Blaze Starr). What a life! At her peak Storm earned $100,000 a year, making her the highest-paid striptease performer in history. Her last performance was in 2010. And she had a fling with young Elvis! I used to love catching glimpses of bouffant-haired eternal showgirl Storm at the annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekenders over the years, consistently looking immaculately groomed and fiercely glamorous. Tempest Storm was a woman and a half!
