About Jackie Curtis
Jackie Curtis (born John Curtis Holder Jr.; February 19, 1947 – May 15, 1985) was an American underground actor, singer, and playwright best known as a Warhol superstar. Primarily a stage actor in New York City, Curtis performed as a man and also performed in drag. Curtis made his stage debut as Nefertiti's brother in Tom Eyen's play Miss Nefertiti Regrets (1965). He subsequently wrote several off-off Broadway plays, including Glamour, Glory and Gold (1967), Vain Victory: Vicissitudes of the Damned (1971), and Amerika Cleopatra (1972). Curtis appeared in the film Andy Warhol's Flesh (1968), directed by Paul Morrissey, and starred in Women in Revolt (1971), a comedic spoof of the women's liberation movement. While performing in drag on stage and screen, Curtis would typically wear lipstick, glitter, bright red hair, ripped dresses, and stockings. Curtis pioneered this combination of camp trashy glamour as a style that inspired many entertainers, including Jayne County, the New York Dolls, and glam rock performers such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Gary Glitter, and Mott the Hoople. The play starred Candy Darling, Melba LaRose, Jr., and Robert De Niro in his first appearance on stage, playing several roles. He followed up his theatrical debut with a musical called Lucky Wonderful (1968) featuring Candy Darling, Paul Serrato, Holly Woodlawn, and Melba LaRose. Upon hearing news of Curtis' death, Warhol recorded in his diary, "It was an awful day... somebody called and said that Jackie Curtis O.D.'d.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.