Community Corner

Aug. 31, 1979: Fan Dancer Sally Rand Dies

The Glendora resident, known for her risqué burlesque shows, dies of heart failure at the age of 75.

Fan dancer died of heart failure at Foothill Presbyterian Hospital on this day, Aug. 31 in 1979, according to The Evening Independent.

Sally Rand both scandalized and delighted Depression-era America with her nude shows – save for her signature ostrich feathers. For 40 years she entertained audiences, from the World’s Fair, to the Hollywood screen, to local school concerts in her Glendora hometown.

She continued to perform her signature fan dance even years before her death.

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“People ask me, ‘What the hell are you doing it for,’” Rand told the Associated Press. “’Well. It’s a lot better than doing needlepoint in the patio.’”


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