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Pearl Box Revue I am guessing this album came out circa 1970. It's four drag queens from the touring show The Pearl Box Revue, sitting around talking trash, lots of trash, and one name stands out, Dorian Corey, later to appear in the 1991 film "Paris Is Burning." Corey died in 1993 of AIDS, at age 56. Others on the LP were Jaye Joyce, Clyddie McCoy and Tony LaFrisky. "Call Me MISSter" (Snake-Eyes 2LP 9001, circa 1970)
with little reason, this was a gatefold LP By the way, Billy Guy was a member of the rock & roll pioneering group, The Coasters
Listen
to this album, about an hour total
New
York Times, August 31, 1993 The cause was AIDS, said Jennie Livingston, the director of the 1991 film. After "Paris Is Burning," Mr. Corey established himself as an older, wiser and wryly unflappable observer of drag life as well as a carefully put-together participant in it. "I didn't do it for the money," he said of the film in an interview this year in The New York Times. "I did it for fun. Always have. You see I was in show business for years, so when my 15 minutes finally came, it was gravy." Mr. Corey grew up in Buffalo. After study at the Parsons School of Design, he toured the United States in the 1960's in the Pearl Box Revue, a cabaret drag act. He performed regularly at Sally's Hideaway and at Sally's II on West 43d Street and also had a clothing business, Corey Design.
June 2017. New Info.....I received a very nice email from the daughter of Jaye Joyce. Mr. Doyle I ran across your website while preparing for our upcoming family reunion. We traditionally have a memorial service where we remember and honor family members that are no longer with us in the physical sense. This year I wanted to honor my father Jaye Joyce by singing one of the songs he sang in his act, Wildflower by the Skylarks. I was so excited to see my father’s name mentioned on your website when referencing The Pearl Box Review. It is often Dorian Corey that is recognized because of her contribution to Paris is Burning. It was my father however who was the leader and genius of the group. My father managed and lead the group for over a decade. It was my grandmother that mothered the group at a time when drag queens were seen as a subset of strange and somehow deformed individuals without much value to society. Many of my father’s associates and friends had been thrown aside and disowned by family. Not my family, however; we loved daddy which is what my sister and I called him privately and publicaly. We also loved his friends especially Tony La Frisky, but not so much Dorian, who was a true diva with not much use for children (although she did tolerate us and actually made a few outfits for my sister and I)
I now often think about what growing up with a transgender dad in the 1960’s taught me about unconditional love; I’m a better person because of my experience as a child. It is amazing how far society has come today in the acceptance of transgendered individuals although I can only imagine that what is portrayed in the media is many steps away from the true story of transgender individuals today. My dad died in 1988 of AIDS. We didn't have the forethought to hang on to items that I know I would treasure today. I know my father's history of course but not a lot of details about the the other members of the Pearl Box Revue. Tony La Frisky was from Ohio as was my father (by way of Tennessee). I have a copy of the the LP which my daughter located and gave me for my birthday several years ago. I have pictures of of my father in and out of drag and there's a news clipping of when they were appearing at a club in New York. My sister is really the historian in the family. I'll check in with her to see what she may have. One tidbit of information on my father. He was also a hair stylist in Mt. Vernon NY . He was owner of Chez Jaye and his partner was Denzel Washington's mother. I remember being in the shop as they talked about Denzel's career and when he was cast on St. Elsewhere there was a lot of hope and excitement. Anyway, again thank you for mentioning Jaye Joyce on your website and giving me an opportunity to tell someone else a little bit about the amazing Jaye Joyce, aka Jasper Sharpe. Ms. Dale Sharpe
Jenkins
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