Английская Википедия:Brigitte Bond
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:No footnotes Brigitte Bond, also known as Brigitte St. John (born ca. 1944, fl. 1964–1976) was a ska singer, actress and cabaret performer, whose 1964 photo with Prince Buster inspired the Beat Girl logo of The Beat band.
Life
Press often described her as either French (from Marseille) or Maltese, in one interview Brigitte claimed she had Italian mother, French father and have been born in Malta. In 1964 the 19 year old Brigitte Bond debuted as a singer at The 2i's Coffee Bar, where she was scouted by and signed under Tom Littlewood. She released a 45 rpm single with songs Blue Beat Baby and Oh Yeah Baby with a backing band named The Bluebeats. On 25 February 1964, Brigitte with other fans was at the Heathrow Airport to welcome Prince Buster in England, and the famous photo of the two dancing twist was taken. In April she performed at the flamingo club. In May she met sir John Waller, who instantly proposed to her and quickly announced the engagement in press. The arrangement was quickly called off, when Waller learned that as a trans woman Brigitte could not bear him an heir (required for him to access his full inheritance). Brigitte continued with her career, performing at the Astor Club and switching management to Arthur Lowe Agency. After a short tour to Africa (Kenya and Rhodesia) Brigitte performed at the Pelican Club in Soho, until it was raided for nude dancers (Brigitte being described in press as "the worst" offender). In 1965 Bond made another African tour (South Africa and Rhodesia), and then moved to francoist Spain for a residency in Madrid.
On 17 June Brigitte caused a commotion during Billy Graham's visit in Soho by climbing on a car and protested his teachings on sinfulness of miniskirts. This earned her a spot on The Sunday Mirror front page. Around 1967 she took up acting under the name Brigitte St. John. She claimed that she was in the 1967 Casino Royale, however, she is not credited there. She played a dancer role in Herostratus the same year, and after moving to Spain starred in two more films in 1968 and 1969.
In Spain Brigitte focused on cabaret performances, becoming a supervedette. She performed with Coccinelle in June 1968, and in 1974 with Шаблон:Ill at Gay Club, Madrid's first LGBT club. In an April 1976 interview in Spanish press Brigitte revealed that she was married and living in Italian Campania, and that her real name was Giovanna. After that date she did not make any public appearances and her further life is unknown.
Melody Maker included the 1964 photograph of Brigitte and Prince Buster in 1979 article on history of ska. When ska band The Beat requested a band logo from Hunt Emerson for their first album, he created a character of The Beat Girl referencing photograph reprinted in Melody Maker.
Discography
- Brigitte Bond and The Bluebeats. Blue Beat Baby / Oh Yeah Baby single, 1964, Blue Beat Records
Filmography
- Herostratus. With Brigitte St. John as dancer. UK, 1967.
- 1001 Nights. With Brigitte St. John as dancer. Spain & Italy, 1968.
- The Emerald of Artatama. With Brigitte St. John as Brigitte. Spain, 1969.
Sources
- Шаблон:Cite web
- “The King and Queen of Blue Beat meet”. Daily Mirror, 26 February 1964: 26.
- David Hunn. “Brigitte Bond: She has a built-in licence to thrill”. Tit-Bits, 9 May 1964: 13.
- “I’ll be Lady Waller in 4 Months says Brigitte”. The Evening Standard, 21 May 1964.
- “Where Boys Were”. Madera Tribune, 73,20, 10 June 1964, p3. Online
- “The Stripper who cried for shame”. Daily Mirror, November 14, 1964: 3.
- Brigitte St John. “Sin and Mini Skirts”. Sunday Mirror,June 19, 1966 p1.
- “The Story of Ska”. Melody Maker, May 19, 1979.
