Received Thursday, 9-4-08
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Ricci Cortez, Burlesque Queen and Legend, passed away today at the age of 83. Arrangements are pending. Please let anyone that you know that may have known Ricci know of her passing."
Ricci was very well known in the burlesque world, but she was very important to many of us in Houston. She and her partner, Papa Bear, ran THE bar on Shepherd for years. We all knew her and she remembered a lot of us. After a funeral at once time, Pat O, Sandy Swanland, and I went to the bar with some other people and we all talked about ourselves and lives and drank a lot . We discussed how the world was changing and what that would mean.
The above picture was taken in 2004 when she was at a convention in Las Vegas of Legends of Burlesque. She is still styling and looking good.
Please let me know if you have any more information on her.
Kay VC
So far, no obit in the Houston Chronicle. There should be.
