Strange Case of Billy Tipton
The Strange case of Billy Tipton; By Laird Okie
Many years ago I bought an old Billy Tipton LP in a thrift store. It was called “Billy Tipton
plays Hi-Fi on piano “ and consisted of standards played by Tipton in an attractive, light-jazz
style located somewhere between Teddy Wilson and Errol Garner. You can see the album
cover hanging on the wall at KOPN. It shows a youthful-looking, fresh-faced Tipton gazing up at
two glamour girls leaning against the piano. He was actually 42, but the liner notes depict him as
a young lad from Oklahoma. I never gave Billy Tipton much thought until the
startling news that emerged when he died.
Born in Oklahoma City (1914), Billy Tipton was raised in Kansas City where he attended Southwest
High school and the Horner Conservatory of Music. He quickly found work as a musician, playing in
territorial bands and leading his own small group, mainly in Oklahoma and Missouri. From about 1941 to
1943 he was the house pianist at a Joplin venue with the unlikely name of Missouri’s Cotton Club.
He also worked for a time at Radio station KWTC in Springfield.
In 1949 Tipton got an offer to join George Mayer’s band in the Pacific Northwest, and that region,
especially Spokane Washington, became his domain for the rest of his career. He played the
best clubs and also worked as a talent booker. Tipton continued to travel, however. His trio was
playing a date in Santa Barbara, CA when he was spotted by a talent scout for Tops Records.
Tipton recorded two albums for the label in Los Angeles. They sold well enough that Tipton was
offered a contract for 4 more albums, to be recorded in Hollywood. But apparently this venture meant
moving to California for a spell and Tipton feared losing his well-paying gigs in Washington and Oregon.
He declined the offer.
Tipton had several “wives” over the years and adopted three children with one, but he was never
legally married. His musical career ended in the 1970s when arthritis took away his ability to play. He descended
into poverty and was living in a Spokane trailer park when he died in 1989. I read of his death in the Kansas City
Star. But what made the story truly newsworthy was this revelation: The medical examiner found that Billy Tipton
was a woman.
Tipton presented herself as a man for nearly all her adult life. And she did so– at least in part– because it was
easier to get work in the music business as a man. Born Dorothy Tipton, Tipton took the nickname Tippy in high
school. She began to dress as a man just for gigs in the mid thirties, but by the early 1940s had adopted her father’s
name of Billy and lived as a man. She had no family to speak of and hardly anyone knew her secret. “He” told his
girlfriends he had mangled his genitals in an accident.
Tipton is more famous in death than he was in life. She is the subject of a biography (“Suits Me, the
Double Life of Billy Tipton” ), a documentary film, and an all female band is named in her honor, The Tiptons.
Best Time to Get a Job
Check out this link on CNN. money.cnn.com/2009/12/04/news/economy/job_seasons/index.htm
For anybody who is wanting to change jobs, or get a new one, this feature offers some good insight.
Good luck,
Linda Ferris
Health perks for the unemployed
Here is a great healthcare resource with a “find it” link for those who are unemployed/underemployed who are without healthcare coverage. Check out this link from CNN. http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/25/news/economy/unemployed_health_services/index.htm
Spanish Language Programming
Hi Christine:
You asked me to send you info on the Spanish language program on KOPN. It was fundraising day, Oct. 10 When I was there from 9 to 10:15 we got a few pledges.
The woman on the air with El Pollo was Gianina Beusan. She is from Peru. She was talking about the importance for Hispanic residents of the area to open checking accounts. She was giving basic information about how to open an account, debit and ATM cards, minimum balances, how to write checks, overdrafts, etc.: very basic information to most of us, but if you are a
recent arrival to the US, this information is not readily available, especially if the person does not speak English.
Gianina works at Commerce Bank 500 Business Loop 70 West, she can be reached at 573-886-5651. I asked her if it was ok to put this info on our blog, and she said yes.
Gianina fielded questions from listeners on banking issues.
But most of the callers were the usual requests for a song.
At one point Pollo–his real name is Javier Bautista–set up a contest for a prize offered by Los Cuates, a local business that services the Hispanic community. The prize was 12 tacos to go. The contest was to name an old
cartoon sit com, familiar to many people: The Flintstones, but beyond that the winner had to identify each of the seven characters. These characters had Spanish names in the dubbed version. I’m afraid I didn’t catch these
names. I don’t even know them in English. But the first guy who called got all the names right. Wow! He is going to come by the station next week to pick up his voucher for Los Cuates.
A great program and a great service to the community.
check out the updated photos
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112491&id=55294368791&saved
Just another day at KOPN
Up the red-carpeted stairs of 915 East Broadway, you will be greeted by the glass door outlined in cyan blue. Looking through the translucent glass, one can hardly guess that a room, a hall way consists of a vending machine, 2 desks, 2 shelves, a few chairs and an outrageously numerous amount of posters, would be the home of the Local Community Radio Station,KOPN. Take a left, if you will, after nine curious steps, and you will be astonished with the find. It is the Green Room, although without much of Shakespearian vegetations, it is full of vibrant life. If you choose to ignore the CDs hanging over your head, do not for go the diverse collection of vinyl records. There are over 30, 000 platters ready to be brought to life.
Sitting with his back toward you is Tom, in his blue plaid shirt, with kind and gentle eyes behind those 80’s glasses; opposite from him, Christine in her Central America black blouse, with John, in white, listening attentively; There, sitting at the head of the table is Meg, with her dangling earrings and completely submerged into the task of computerized calculation; and not far from them, stands Brian (with an I) in deep thought while still contrasting so nicely with the KOPN sweats and bags.
My Start at KOPN
KOPN is a great part of my life. At first, I did not think I would fit in because I thought I was different from everyone there. Not as being a human, but the fact that I did not listen to some of the music they played. I am more a Pop, Disney Pop, Country and Top 40s kind of girl and at that time they had no show like it. Well until now. I am lucky to be one of the hosts of “Anything Goes,” and that is the type of music I play. My goal is to reach out to the younger generations.
That doesn’t mean I do not have my favorite shows now. I love listening to Steve Spellman News at 5. Oh his show, he has interesting guest and topics. I also love “The So Called Good Life,” with Kevin Walsh.
When I started at KOPN, I knew that I wanted to help with the office work, and to be on-air. Julies trained me on the board for National Programming, and luckily I caught on faster than I thought. For “ Anything Goes,” I think I got started by starting Kevin Walsh’s show and by asking questions.
Now I am working on interview and phone interviews with Holly’s help. I am now working on local interviews and national interviews For “Anything Goes.” I am looking to interview anyone in entertainment, including authors.
The staff and volunteers here are great. If I can do it, so can you. If you are interested in volunteering call Christine at (573) 874-1139.
KOPN Celebrates Women’s History Month this Sunday 5-7 p.m. on 89.5 F.M.
Many talented women of the Mid-Missouri community are getting together this Sunday in the station library to broadcast a celebration of women. Women’s history month is only about thirty years old (just a little younger than KOPN itself!), but it seems to me (also thirty years old) that so much has changed for women during that period. Very rarely am I discouraged from a course of action or an achievement because I am a woman, but often I find myself admiring various women who have done great things. This Sunday, I look forward to taking some time to appreciate the changes in women’s opportunities and to celebrate the amazing and talented women that I know.
KOPN Joins the Blogosphere
Welcome to the WordPress home for KOPN, 89.5 FM, located in downtown Columbia, Missouri. We’ll be using this blog to interact with the world and promote the radio station!
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