Legend: Lottie the Body

Lottie the Body: Featured Legend of Red Hots Burlesque

Let’s keep with February rolling with this week’s legend…

LOTTIE THE BODY

Described as Detroit’s answer to Gypsy Rose Lee, Lottie “The Body” Graves was a classically trained exotic dancer who trail-blazed through color barriers in the ’50s and ’60s. The Commodores’ “Brick House” could have been written for Detroit’s most famous burlesque star, considering how gorgeously stacked this lady is. Lottie wore ornate costumes, covering herself in rhinestones and ostrich feathers and long beaded gowns. In her heyday Lottie performed with the likes of B.B. King, Billie Holiday and more, bringing more than just the traditional bump and grind. Lottie was a headliner, often performing at white only clubs as well as segregated clubs. Eventually an Indianapolis gangster built a club just for her. Lotti “The Body” still makes appearances at the Burlesque Hall of Fame, and last year was the keynote speaker for Burlycon in Seattle.