CATHY CRAIG Female Impersonator

My Entrance Into SHOWBIZ

Well it all started while acting in little theater in my home town of Cleveland Ohio. I had never been to a gay bar when a couple of friends of mine took me I was too young to drink(but at that time looked older)not now Ha Ha. The bar happened to be a show bar and the cast was rehearsing on stage no make up or drag. At that time I did'nt even know what drag was. Well the more I watched and my friend Mike explained to me the more interested I got. By the end of that evening I said to him I can do that,so the next day off to Layne Bryant I went buy-buy-buy,next to a wig store that is the only time I ever paid so much for a wig,(got your coolor got your size nothing like flee market wigs). I'm all ready with my loads of dresses make up ect I started the process 3 hours later I was beautiful (so I thought) I call Mike, off to the club we go,in I walk in full regalia. While sitting at the bar someone comes over to me and said hi whats your name? I said Lorain he said like the street I said yes (thats where I lived on Lorian avenue) he said you look like a Cathy to me, hence my drag name. He said I am the show director here and you gave me an idea I am going to do a May Day newcomers show would you like to be in it. I said yes. My career had begun. He became my gay mother,friend and teacher his name Treva Trash, Ohios Queen of Comedy.Treva introduced me to a large black man known as Biggie it turned out this peson was known as Big Mama (Gave me my last name Craig Like Dr. CRAIGS DAUGHTER ON GENERAL HOSPITAL) Biggie helped me pick music,costumes everything. I now have a carrer that is 30 years in the making and its not over yet. Biggie remained my friend even after I moved to Florida I called him every month until his passing. I miss our conversations but I made him proud.The first show that I ever performed in I did My Guy by Mary Wells And brought the house down thanks to Treva,and Biggie,(tipping me $20 bills and yelling in the front row.I became a house queen that night and performed and headlined my own shows going on to win Miss JJ's 1978, Miss Gay Cleveland and Miss Ohio Universe in 1979. The following year I was astonished when I tied with Tiffany Jones the Texas Tornado for Lambda Entertainer of the year.I would like to send a shout out to my Ohio daughter Ms Jamie(last name withheld on request) and to Miss Diana Soul. Melissa Ross,and Twiggy(of the famous Twiggys Place. Hi girls I hope you are all well..

Cathy Moves On

After performing in Ohio a few Years,Iwas ask to Ggo to Florida on assignment for my normal or should I say every day job. I went to florida and a few unfortunate suprises happened I ended up staying there. I was a manager of 7 stores in Fort Lauderdale and I had Many employees that took me around to diffent clubs. If you are a performer from another state it is hard to break in to the circle of girls in another state unless you pay your dues. It just happened I knew a manager of a club in florida and I ended up performing ther on news years eve, to my surprise no one came up and said i must have you at my club. but my friens did challange me to enter a talent contest at another club Shangrala in Plantation FL I did won

the contest and the show director MAXI (Ted Larson) got me hired.when i found out what they were offering I took it.I was accepted by the cast as a regular and worked there for several years along with many other clubs. At that time i had entered a couple of other talent shows one inparticular was at The Marlin Beach Hotel. The MC The legendary Tiny Tina of Copa fame who upon another meeting with my friend MIZZ GINGER at a previous time thought I was a lesbian(at least she thought i was a woman) she didnt like me very much and at that time I really didn't give a shit. Needless to say I entered her contest at the Marlin and won that night she invited me to her room but i refused politely. Tina complimented on my dress I spent a lot of money on my drag. (she has owned that dress for 20 years and it could be put in the museum of drag. At one time she left the copa and got hired at Shangrla well ont thing led to another and thought we would compete we decided to work togeather. The Fat Review was created Tina (Ray) and I have beenfirend now all these years in fact we are roomates and most likely until one of us departs this earth I said friends I really mean family I know I always have him and he has me we both put up with each othes shit. There are so many aspects to my career that i would have to do a book to put it all down. Hers a list of different kinds of place I have performed Clubs,Television,Extra in the movie Catherines Grove,The condo cicuit some of the theater seat 3000 people we had 5 agents who booked the shows 4 of a Kind, Fantastic Follies, BroadMinded Men, Boys Will be Girls,and so on I was lucky enough to be a featured entertainer with the Ziegfield Follies Revues(see Videos) these girls all performed in ziegfield shows some of them are in ther 80's, I played the queen of hearts at the Flagler Museum.Iwas Fort Lauderdales Quun of Bingo for Years(Thanks Tina) Now everyone and his brother dose it. oh well ther are other fish to fry and the old girl isi't what she used to be. Parts of this web sight will highlight some of them I hope you will enjoy them. Love to all of you. Billy Lewis AKA Cathy Craig

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