Candy Barr: The Small-Town Texas Runaway Who Became a Darling of the Mob and the Queen of Las Vegas Burlesque - Ted Schwarz
This is the tragic story of the iconic Texan figure named Juanita Slusher, a.k.a Candy Barr, once a notorious burlesque dancer who complicated her life with jail time, drug charges, and a role in the investigation of President Kennedy's assassination. \nThis is the story of the iconic Texan figure name Juanita Slusher, a.k.a Candy Barr. She was once a notorious burlesque dancer known for her athletic choreography and live music accompaniment, commanding as much as $2,000 a week in 1950s Vegas. But growing up as Juanita, her troubled life began when her sister sold her virginity for a dollar. She became a runaway and then was victimized by a Dallas ritual known as the capture, enslaving her in prostitution. Candy's fame included high profile lovers and friends, which ultimately complicated her life with jail time, drug charges, and a role in the investigation of President Kennedy's assassination. \nBorn Juanita Slusher in Edna, Texas, in 1935, the entertainer who became Candy Barr was perhaps the last great dancer in burlesque, a stripper who insisted on live, improvisational music and who at one time commanded $2,000 a week in 1950s Las Vegas. But as Juanita she had started life as a prematurely well-developed thirteen-year-old runaway victimized by a Dallas ritual known as the capture that enslaved her into prostitution, for a time turning over 4,000 tricks a year before she was able to escape. A lover of Mickey Cohen's and friend to Jack Ruby, Barr's tumultuous life included a period of imprisonment on trumped-up drug charges, an appearance in a crude, 20-minute stag film, and unlikely role in the investigation into the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Based on over 100 hours of exclusive interviews with Barr, this book is not just the story of Juanita and Candy, but also paints an unflattering picture of all those who sought to exploit her.