Jackie Curtis

Jackie Curtis
Curtis by Andy Warhol in 1974
Born
John Curtis Holder Jr.

(1947-02-19)February 19, 1947
New York City, US
DiedMay 15, 1985(1985-05-15) (aged 38)
New York City, US
Resting placeRose Hills Memorial Park, Putnam Valley, New York
Other namesShannon Montgomery
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, singer
RelativesSlugger Ann (grandmother)

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 both a man and 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), Amerika Cleopatra (1968), and Vain Victory: Vicissitudes of the Damned (1971). Curtis appeared in the films 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.