Tempest Storm

If I was to tell you that Annie Blanche Banks, a young girl from Southern Georgia who spent her early days cotton picking in the fields would not only go on to capture the hearts of millions but also date Elvis Presley, be a friend of Marilyn Monroe, have relations with JFK, work alongside icon Bettie Paige in the cult classic Teasorama filmed by Irving Klaw and ultimately grace the stage as one of the world’s biggest burlesque icons ever…would you believe any of this was possible for a 21 year old woman?!

This leap year baby Tempest Storm has lived 84 long years filled with love, heartbreak, fame, and many highs and lows whilst creating a career and persona like no other and keeping America's burlesque scene alive and proud.

Everyone associated with burlesque knows of the legend Miss Tempest Storm. This fiery red head beauty found fame in the 50’s and has been stripping all the way through into her 80’s and is still going strong! Tempest has worked closely to help bring the highly anticipated Exotic World competitions and has helped keep the scene alive for a new generation of performers. Both performers of today and yesteryear desire the amazing figure and ‘those’ assets that helped launch Tempests career, otherwise known as “the two biggest props in Hollywood”!

Tempest survived rape, poverty, and abuse in her youth, only to be betrayed by studios MGM at the height of her career and lose her contract all because they couldn't see past her relationship and love for an African American man. She learned to rise above, and found the power within herself to transform her pain into strength to become an unstoppable force.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of her incredible life story of which we can all learn of in full if this happens. The generosity, help and support of the world’s burlesque community is needed now more than ever. This can ensure a documentary of Tempests life filled with never before revealed footage, photos, and most intimate interviews with Tempest herself.

The film has won a $7,500 start-up fee at pitchfest and has hit a large amount of its required production costs through a Kickstarter campaign that ends on the 9^th October but there is still a way to go and your help is needed.

There has already been a huge amount of interest in the documentary directed by the award winning film maker Nimisha Muckerji and produced by Kaitlyn Regehr and will feature interviews with some of the burlesque queens of today including Lou Lou D'Vil and Dita Von Teese as well as interviews with friends of Elvis and JFK . This is most certainly something I am desperate to see as I know many of you will be too. This is putting history on film and capturing the life of a true burlesque legend.

Please show your support, let’s make this possible! Please share this blog, tweet the link for Kickstarter, share on your own Facebook and Twitter accounts and help to ensure this incredible story gets told.

Let’s all celebrate the wonderful woman, Tempest Storm!

xoxo