Kansas City Kitty took me under her wing and showed me
the "ropes" of the stripping business. She was an older
lady who had been dancing for quite some time. If it had not been for
her advice, I would have made a lot more mistakes than I did.
We
worked at the Pink Pussy in Kansas City, Missouri as well as the
Folly's Burlesk Theater. At the Pink Pussy Cat, we were strippers. At
the Folly's Burlesk, I was a stripper and she was
a cashier.
She taught me how to put on pasties -
a stiff cloth of material shaped like the nipple that covered only
the nipple. We had to wear this because of the Kansas City laws - no
nipples could show.
She taught me how to put on the different
layers of my outfit - such as G-String first - then G-Strap over that
or some sort of clothing that resembled panties.
She sold me
my first dancing gown for $10.00. That was a lot for me back then;
but it was a good deal. It was a really pretty red, sequin gown
trimmed in black feathers. It was the same gown I had seen in many
visions when I was married and did not even comprehend what a
stripper was. Being a stripper was the furthest thing from my mind
back then. But the visions would haunt me, especially, at night when
I lay awake and could not go to sleep. Not only would I see myself
stripping on a stage in front of a bunch of men; but I would, also,
see my children in different states. All this proved to be
true.
Kansas City Kitty, also, helped me make life-long
decisions concerning my children. I did not know what to do with my
children if I went on the road to dance. It was time for John to go
to the first grade. She suggested putting him in a military school.
That was the best advice I ever got from anyone
concerning my children. I just wish I would have kept him in there
for his twelve years of school; so does he.
Kansas Kitty Kitty
proved to be very helpful in teaching me how to get money out of men.
She would make up a story that we were collecting money to get a
pizza. The guys would chip in. For some reason, the pizza never did
come.
A "guy" that really liked me a lot was going
to take me out to spend money on me for such things as clothes and
boots. Kansas City Kitty wanted me to get in practice on conning men;
so she gave me a list of things for me to get for her. Some of the
things were different pieces of material and a bottle of her favorite perfume - Taboo. I had "the guy" take me to
the costume shop. I got the material she wanted. He said, “That
looks like material Kansas City Kitty makes her outfits out of.” I
was not sure of myself and got really nervous; so I was really afraid
to get the perfume. I thought he would catch on to that, too. I did
not want her to be mad at me; so I bought the perfume for her myself.
This really made her
mad. She told me that it was not the perfume that she
cared about. She wanted me to get the “feel” for conning men. I
did over the years; and I am glad.
One time before I learned my lessons well from Kansas
City Kitty, I went home at a “guy's” apartment and spent the
night with him. I told her about it the next day. She said, “Well,
what is he going to do for you?” I said that I guessed nothing and
that he had offered to give me gas money; but I turned it down. She
held her head in her hands explaining to me that I should get things
and money out of these guys - and to not let them have anything free.
One night, after I had spent the night with him, he came
in the club saying he was looking for his "Little Rose". By
then, I finally had decided in my mind what he was looking for was a
free piece of ass
anytime he wanted. I told Kansas City Kitty, "He
looks like an old hound dog lookin' for a bitch dog in heat.” She
laughed so much! I think she knew as I did that I had finally seen
the light about these guys. From now on, I would be no one else's
"Little Rose". At least, not a "free rose".
The
first time I went on the road, Kansas City Kitty gave me a necklace
with St. Christopher to help protect me. She was a Catholic. I was
not; but I felt that it might help me. I wish I still
had it.
Kansas City Kitty was oriental. It was
really difficult to see what she looked like because she wore a lot
of garb on her face - big dark glasses, big bushy blond hair, and
lots of make-up. She would holler from the stage, "I'm a clown!"
She twirled the tassels on her breasts; but they were false breasts -
I heard - she did not tell me this. I, also, heard that she had
received silicone injections and had made them too big which caused
her to have them removed. I, also, heard that she had cancer. I guess
it was cancer of the breasts.
One thing I did not like about
her advice was when she tried to get me to get small amounts of
silicone injections. But this is the only thing I remember that was
bad advice. Luckily, I had enough "horse-sense" to know
that this was not for me.
Kansas City Kitty always encouraged
me to start saving money and invest it. She said her relatives had
cheated her out of a bunch of money - something to do with a savings
she had had with one of the relatives. She had some money saved in a
savings and loan under this relative's name. This person had died;
and the other relatives kept her part of the money even though they
knew it belonged to her. She cautioned me to never invest my money in
a savings
and loan.
I really do appreciate all the time Kansas City Kitty
took with me to help get me on my feet as a stripper as well as the
special interest she took in my personal life with my kids. From the
first time she said, “Do you really want to get into it?” -
(referring to the stripping
business); and I answered, “Yes.” - She showed me
the “ropes” and gave me priceless advice on everything. I wish
she were alive; so I could say, “Thank you.”
100 STORIES FROM AN OLD STRIPPER
By Opal Dockery
