Tempest Storm
With flame-red hair and an air of sophisticated glamour, she redefined burlesque for the atomic age and performed well into her eighties.
1928–2021 (age 93)·American burlesque dancer·Birthday: February 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Tempest Storm crafted a persona of breathtaking spectacle — cascading red hair, lavish costumes, and a controlled, elegant performance style that emphasized artistry over mere exposure. Born Annie Blanche Banks, she rose in the 1950s, bringing Hollywood glamour to the burlesque stage alongside Lili St. Cyr. She commanded top fees and controlled her own image. Her fame led to film roles and television appearances. She performed for over six decades, becoming a living archive of an art form. In her later years, she was celebrated as the enduring queen of classic American burlesque. Born in 1928, she died in 2021.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Tempest was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tempest Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Tempest's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2021Died at 93
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Maintained a headline career as a top-tier burlesque performer for over six decades, into the 21st century.
- Achieved national fame in the 1950s and 60s, becoming one of the most recognized exotic dancers in America.
- Successfully transitioned her fame into appearances in films and on television variety shows.
- Was known for her business acumen, negotiating high salaries and maintaining control over her career.
Did You Know?
She was briefly married to singer Herb Jeffries, known as the 'Bronze Buckaroo.'
Her stage name was reportedly suggested by a club manager who said she had a 'tempestuous' style.
She performed her signature act at the age of 83 in 2011.
Her measurements at her peak were famously reported as 40D-22-36.
“I never took my clothes off for a photographer until I was past forty.”
