Legend: Toni Elling

Toni Elling: Featured Legend of Red Hots Burlesque

It’s Monday morning, which means it’s time to meet another of our beautiful legends!

TONI ELLING

Billed as America’s Foremost Sepia Singing Ecdysiast, Toni Elling has maintained a performance career and lifestyle of sheer elegance. This once-phone operator did not take to the burlesque life until she was 32 years old after she realized that she would never move further in the phone company as a black woman. She claims that jazz great Duke Ellington wrote “Satin Doll” with her in mind; considering their close friendship and that Elling named herself after the musician it wouldn’t be a surprise. In her short but high-rising career — she retired from burlesque in 1968 — Elling danced for singers Sammie Davis, Jr. and Jackie Wilson among others. Discovered in Detroit with the rise of the neo-burlesque scene, Ms. Elling has performed for the Burlesque Hall of Fame in recent years, taking the stage in the Icons and All-Stars showcase recently in 2012.