Legend: Jadin Wong

Jadin Wong: Featured Legend of Red Hots Burlesque

JADIN WONG

A burlesque dancer who grew up to be featured in the New York Times as one of the most glamorous grand dames of New York, Jadin Wong ran away to Hollywood at the age of 17, against her parents’ wishes. She had dreams of singing and dancing as a youth, and joined the San Francisco Opera Ballet. It wasn’t long from there that she was hired by Charlie Low, owner of the Forbidden City nightclub, a club that has been compared to an Asian-American version of the Cotton Club. Wong became a headliner in 1938 at Forbidden City, though most of the community at the time disapproved of her choice in careers: “They wouldn’t talk with us because they thought we were whores,” Wong once said. “Chinese people in San Francisco were ready to spit in our faces because we were nightclub performers.” Despite this, Wong toured the world three times and even performed with USO tours to troops overseas. During World War II, Wong risked her life to jump out of an airplane into German territory to perform with Bob Hope for the boys. Wong was featured on the cover of Life magazine in 1940 reflecting of Forbidden City. She was a singer, dancer and comedienne who performed into her 90s. In her later years she ran a talent agency and managed many Asian actors and models. When receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at Lincoln Center in New York City, she said in her thank you speech, “Age is just a number, and I have an unlisted number.” She outlived two husbands. Wong passed away on March 30, 2010 at the age of 96.