This brings back memories.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Blaze Starr, a Wayne County native who became one of America’s most famous burlesque stars and strippers, died early Monday morning at the age of 83.
Born in Wilsondale as Fannie Belle Fleming on April 10, 1932, Starr may have been best known for her affair with Louisiana Gov. Earl K. Long, the brother of Louisiana Gov. and U.S. Sen. Huey P. “Kingfish” Long Jr. The two met when Starr was performing at the Sho-Bar in New Orleans.
Their relationship was featured in the 1989 film “Blaze,” starring Paul Newman and Lolita Davidovich. The movie was based on Starr’s memoir, co-written with Huntington resident Huey Perry, who had taught high school in Mingo County, and published in 1974.
From 1950 through the 1970s, Starr was based at the Two O’Clock Club in Baltimore, where she got the nickname “The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque.”
As a young Army officer, I returned from Vietnam in February 1970. I had transferred from the Infantry to Military Intelligence and was sent to the Intelligence Officers Advanced Course at Fort Holabird, MD (Baltimore). Blaze Starr's place was a favorite of us young troopers because, if you had returned from Vietnam, the first drink was on the house. As I recall, I was tossed out of the place at least once by her bouncers. Damn, but those were good times -- ten feet tall and bullet-proof we were.