Betty Rowland, one of the last queens of burlesque, dies at 106

Known as "the red-headed fireball", she started performing at 14, became a headliner on two coasts and outlived most of its peers.

She was known as the "red-headed fireball", a title given to her for her stature - she was a short 5ft 1in tall - and her fiery hair. She found the nickname, which was often shortened to "Ball of Fire", corny. But Betty Rowland was a burlesque queen nonetheless. A headliner in the glory years of racy variety shows of the 1930s and 1940s, she worked well into the 1950s.

Ms. Rowland had a languorous style of dancing (hers was a smooth grind) and she often threw an undulating stretch and fall known as the German roll. Her costumes were elegant: she favored long skirts slit at the hips, bandeau tops and evening gloves. After a slow burn, she threw away most of her gear; but, like most burlesque stars, she kept her pasties and thong on.

One ​​of her signature pieces was called "Bumps in the Ballet ", a parody of a ballet number that she liked to present to her audience with a bit of a bang: "Let's put a little juice in the Ballets Russes, and give a goose to the dying swan. In a classic way, can I put a bump in this ballet?"

Ms. Rowland died on April 3 in an assisted living facility in Culver City, California. She was 106. Her death, which was not widely reported at the time, was confirmed by Leslie Zemeckis, the director of the 2010 documentary, "Behind the Burly Q", which told the stories of Ms. Rowland and other burlesque stars.

Outside the tribal world of burlesque, Ms Rowland may not have been as famous - or as well paid - as other headliners like Tempest Storm, another red-haired queen, who hung out with John F. Kennedy and Elvis Presley, whose breasts were reportedly insured by Lloyd's of London, and whose earnings peaked in the mid-1990s 1950 was about $100,000 a year (about $950,000 today) Mrs. Rowland did well, but not so well; in 1945 she was making $500 every every two weeks, which is the equivalent of more than $200,000 a year today. Angeles Times in 2009, adding that she didn't waste it on alcohol or cigarettes. "I never smoked or drank," she said. "It wasn't in my family. When we were in show business, we took it seriously. We've seen a few fall by the wayside because of it."

Ms. Rowland was an early burlesque star: She had a pre-teen vaudeville act with her sister Rozelle, doing a bit of soft shoe and tap dancing. When vaudeville died out and its stars migrated to livelier burlesque shows, Betty and Rozelle hit the road as backup singers.

Burlesque, sometimes called "pauper's theatre", was, like vaudeville, a collection of acts - comedy, acrobatics, a little song and dance - with the zest of a striptease or two.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Betty had her first star turn when she was just 14 years old and replaced an artist who had sprained her ankle. forgot to undress.

ImageMs. Rowland mainly worked on stage, but she also appeared occasionally on screen.She got the starring role in this 1950 film.Credit...LMPC via Getty Image.. .