Women in Jazz: Peggy Lee

My boyfriend, Rian, is the film curator for the American Jazz Museum.

His job recently had him working with our city's film festival, to showcase rare clips from various jazz artists in history. We attended the screening last week and it was pretty bad-ass.

Through Rian, I've learned a lot about jazz, regarding the history and lesser-known artists.

So, I thought I would highlight a few fabulous female jazz singers in a series.

Our first lady is the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Peggy Lee.

Peggy was born in 1920 in North Dakota.

Having lost her mother when she was four, Peggy suffered a difficult childhood, putting up with an alcoholic father and abusive stepmother.

After graduating, she packed up her bags and moved to Hollywood, desperate to leave her miserable small-town life behind. Unfortunately, it didn't work. After spending months as a waitress, and even a carnival worker, Peggy went home, tail between her legs.

She started singing on a local radio station, which led to offers in other parts of the country. Soon, the 20-year-old beauty found herself traveling the country, playing at small venues.

She was performing in a ritzy Chicago nightclub in 1941 when Benny Goodman, a very famous bandleader, took notice. He asked her to sing in his orchestra, and not long afterwards, they began working in the studio.

She ended up releasing a couple of number one hits which not only sold more than one million copies, but made her an instant household name.

It was during this time that Peggy fell in love with Dave Barbour, a guitarist in Benny's band. The two married in 1943 and had a daughter. Unfortunately, Dave assumed that Peggy would gladly give up her singing career to stay at home and be a dutiful wife and mother.

Peggy obliged to his wishes for a few years, but could not help her itch to continue her career. She wrote songs in her spare time and in 1947, released several more songs that flew to the top of the jazz charts.

Her hunger for success and passion for music could not keep Peggy at home. She ended up divorcing her husband in 1951. Her career skyrocketed. She released numerous number hits, sold millions of albums, and even dabbled into acting.

What separated Peggy from her contemporaries is that during the 1950s, she was one of the only old-school jazz singers to embrace rock and roll. While her peers despised the new musical form, she loved it.

By the late 1950s, her obsessive workload began to take a toll on her health. She continued to record music, produce theater productions, and actively participate in charity work until her death, from diabetes, in 2002.

Here is Peggy's most famous song, Fever:

What do you think of Peggy's style and her music?

One Direction

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know there is a British invasion going on. The world has been colonized by blinding hotness and delicious pop beats.

There are five ridiculously adorable boys from England who have taken over the radio waves. They have millions of girls around the world asking themselves, "is it illegal to marry five sexy guys?"

Of course, I'm talking about One Direction.

Since I am a gay guy, cougar, and 14-year-old girl trapped inside of a 20-something female body, I am a huge fan.

These boys are adorable. They do not look like hipster lesbians who play guitars in coffee shops.

They simply look like 20-something guys who should be frolicking on the beach with me. Right now.

I can only hope that the One Direction craze has the world going "Bieber who?" soon.

Let me introduce you to the boyzzz:


Liam (Sexy & Smart)

Paint me! Paint me! With your looooove.

Harry (Hot & Dangerous)

Sigh. He's so bad.

Zayn (Quiet & Mysterious)

He can never seem to find his shirt. It's precious.

Louis (Funny & Adorable)

Awwwwwwww!

Niall (Cute & Irish)

(Hyperventilating)

Anyway, the band would not exist if it had not been for a Pussycat Doll.

The boys were solo contestants on the British version of the X-Factor, but didn't make the cut. Nicole Scherzinger, who was a judge, suggested the boys form a group.

I think they ended up placing third on the show and were immediately signed to a record label afterwards. The rest is history.

Here is the band's fabulous music video:

What do you think of One Direction?

The Cosmopolitan Whisperer

Whenever I'm at the dentist office or stuck in line at the grocery store, I thumb through the latest issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine.

This delightful journal offers a plethora of information for the sexually active 20-something girl. Do you make it your life's ambition to please a man in bed? Do you want to get rid of belly fat? Do you want to orgasm? If so, these pages are a goldmine.

And since I know everything, I've decided to offer an analysis of Pulitzer-prize worthy Cosmo articles, based simply on their intricate headlines.

You're welcome.

Here we go!

Ummm yeah. Another line he wants to hear: "The only thing that could make our sex hotter is including my yoga instructor, Debbie." Seriously.

...holy shit. That's a lot. You better get started now...

Perhaps this is what the Cosmo girl's "va-jay-jay" is dying to tell her: "Wow, 125 sex moves, huh? Not only am I completely sore but I'm fucking exhausted. Thanks. Now we have crabs and I have absolutely NO idea which guy gave it to you this week. PS. Stop calling me va-jay-jay."

There are so many things wrong with this headline, I don't even know where to begin. First, am I the ONLY girl who simply doesn't want to know about men's masturbation rituals? Am I?? And do all men have the same "go-to fantasy"? I find this suspicious.

How to have an orgasm!

How to have a lot of orgasms!

Wait, what?!

?!?!?!?


Thoughts??

Civil War Style Icons: The Freedom Fighter

This is the last of my three-part civil war style icon series.

I hope you've enjoyed this little journey into history.

You can see part one here and part two here.

For now, let me introduce you to our third heroine, Cathay Williams, who was a slave on a wealthy plantation in Independence, Missouri.

When the Civil War broke out, her master died and Union soldiers descended upon the plantation and liberated Cathay. She became a paid cook for the army, traveling to various destinations.

Although she was free, Cathay didn't like being a cook. But her only other option was to either remain in her current position, or be completely unemployed and stranded in the midwest. After all, as a female ex-slave, her prospects for finding another job in 1866 were slim.

The 22-year-old decided she wanted to make her own money, and not be a burden to friends or family, so she cut her hair, bound her breasts, and enlisted in the U.S. Army as a man. With her staggering height and plain face, Cathay slipped under the radar. She was immediately given clearance without even a physical exam.

Using the name, William Cathay, she fought in the war for two years. Only a close friend and a cousin, who served in her regiment, knew the truth.

In 1868, Cathay grew ill. When the doctor examined her body, he discovered the shocking truth. Cathay was immediately discharged.

Afterwards, she moved to Colorado and became a laundress. She got married to a lowlife who stole her jewelry and her savings ($100, huge sum for that time period), and her team of horses and wagons. He was later arrested.

The rest of her life remains murky, as there was no proper documentation. Historians do know that some time in the 1890s, Cathay filed a disability claim, but was denied for unknown reasons. Medical records state that she suffered from diabetes, and had most of her toes amputated as a result.

She died of the condition around 1900.

Cathay was not the only woman to secretly serve in the Civil War. There are more than 400 cases where white women followed their husbands, fiances, and brothers into battle, disguised as men. But, Cathay is the only documented African American woman to have done so.

Without trying, Cathay became a legend, a symbol, of American history. Even though she may not have felt it, she was brave. Even though she may not have cared, she was a pioneer.

Her story is one of millions which have made the United States what it is today.

Here is an outfit inspired by the true Civil War hero:

What do you think of Cathay?

Civil War Style Icons: The Sexy Spy

She was the sexiest traitor in American history.

Belle Boyd was a beautiful, self-obsessed 17-year-old living with her lower middle-class parents in West Virginia when the Civil War broke out.

Her father, a proud southerner, joined the armed forces, even though he was well into his 40s. Belle showed her support by decorating her bedroom with as many Confederate flags as she could get her hands on.

One night, however, a drunk Union soldier arrived at her doorstep, because he had heard the attractive teenager kept the illegal flags in her room. He tried to force his way into the house and shouted insults at her mother. Blinded by fury, Belle grabbed the nearest rifle and shot the soldier to death.

There was a trial held, and with fake tears and heart-breakingly beautiful smiles, Belle walked away from her crime with no charge.

Warily, however, the Unions decided to post a gaurd at her house, just in case she decided to strike again.

Bad move. The young Union soldier was mesmerized by the gorgeous young creature he was sent to keep an eye on. She flirted with him shamelessly, and he soon became powerless to her femenine charm and womanly figure. Drunk with love, he told the manipulative teenager important Union secrets. In her first espionage, Belle messaged those secrets directly back to the Confederate army. And she realized that even though she couldn't fight in the war with her father, she could use her hot body and pretty face to help her team win.

She began seducing every Union solder she could get her pretty, manicured hands on. She would send any information through her slave girl, who would pass it along to the Confederates.

But, she got caught. Unsure what to do with the beautiful siren, the Union commanders turned a comfortable hotel in Baltimore into her prison. Quite cozy, Belle soon had every prison guard at her beck and call. They would fluff her pillows and laugh heartily at her naughty jokes. They adored her.

One night, however, Belle hid in the closet at the hotel and overheard that the Union army was only planning to send a small fleet out to battle that day. Unable to trust anyone else with the news, Belle jumped on a horse and galloped out to the battlefield, braving enemy fire which put bullet holes in her skirt. She informed General Stonewall Jackson that the Union army was significantly smaller than normal, so his soldiers should move forward now to capture them.

Her tip worked. The general sent her a thank-you note and she was awarded a Confederate medal of honor.

A year later, however, she was caught again and locked up for real this time. Ironically, Belle fell in love with her captor, a Union officer. He helped smuggle her to England, and drunk with love, he immediately switched sides and began spying for the Confederates.

The world was captivated by not only Belle's adventures, but the passionate, twisted Civil War love story. Every detail was published in newspapers around the globe.

Unfortunately for Belle, her husband was captured by the Union, and put in prison for being a traitor. He fell incredibly ill in prison and died, leaving Belle a widow at 21. She had to sell her jewelry, clothes, and wedding presents to stay afloat in England.

She wrote several best-selling memoirs about her Civil War adventures. After the war she even had a one-woman show where she traveled around the U.S., dramatically telling details of her espionages.

She died in 1900, a not very rich, but a very self-satisfied woman.

Here is an outfit I put together, which was inspired by the vampy Belle:

What do you think of Belle's story?

Civil War Style Icons: The Belle of Washington

I have a secret to share with you that is so enormous, you have to swear not to tell a living soul (although feel free to tell all the non-living souls you want):

I am a nerd.

More specifically, I am a history nerd.

I'm obsessed with things that happened in the past, which have nothing to do with me.

I also love fabulous females.

After my cousin's wedding this weekend, I spent an entire day with my family touring Abraham Lincoln sites. I saw his old house and then I went to a museum dedicated him.

It was fucking awesome.

I not only learned really fascinating facts about our most admired American president, but also about the civil war.

I have a three-part series for you about three fabulous women from the Civil War period.

The first is Kate Chase, the society princess.

Kate was in her early 20s during the civil war, and the daughter of Salmon Chase, the Secretary of Treasure in the Lincoln Administration. Her mother died when she was very young. She had a little sister.

She was tall, thin, and strikingly beautiful. With her delightful wit and dazzling charm, it was often joked that every politician in Washington D.C. had a huge crush on her. Every move she made was detailed in national gossip columns.

Kate absolutely adored her father, acting like his campaign manager any time he ran for office. She was so proud of her dad and thought the world of him. She wrote his speeches, promoted his policies, hosted his social gatherings, and made it her life's ambition to help him reach his dreams.

Kate's only real flaw, however, was her weakness for designer clothes from Paris. She almost bankrupt her generous father by spending obscene amounts of money on tailored gowns.

She soon solved that problem, although in a naive way. At 23, she married the wealthy U.S. Senator William Sprague, who she believed would help her father accomplish his goal of being the next president.

It was the wedding of the 19th century. The who's who of the political world showed up to the jaw-droppingly extravagant affair, to see the glamorous Kate walk down the aisle wearing a tiara of pearls and diamonds that cost more than $50,000 (imagine how much that would be today!).

The only person who did not attend the wedding was President Lincoln's wife, Mary. The First Lady despised Kate and would often throw fits of jealousy, because she was tired of how men fawned over the gorgeous debutante.

Unfortunately, Kate's good fortune did not last. Her marriage proved a bad decision. Her husband was rumored to be resentful of her time and devotion spent on her father's campaigns. He started drinking heavily and physically abused her and slept with other women.

Her father never did achieve of his dream of becoming president and he died during a campaign. A heartbroken Kate spent more years watching her husband humiliate her in public, by prancing around town with every harlot in sight. The two eventually divorced.

When her 25-year-old son committed suicide, the now middle-aged Kate withdrew from society completely. She died in poverty nine years later, in 1899.

Here is an outfit inspired by the dazzling Kate:

What do you think of Kate?

Jenny's Mouthwash

You might want to check out a guest post I did about two crazy internet style icons. Here it is:

http://ambersmouthwash.blogspot.com/2012/03/jennys-mouthwash-kotakoti.html