Sothern, Georgia (1912–1981)

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Sothern, Georgia (1912–1981)

American dancer and ecdysiast. Name variations: Georgia Diamond. Born Hazel Eunice Finklestein (some sources cite Hazel Anderson), Oct 24, 1912, in Dunganon, GA; died Oct 14, 1981, in New York, NY; m. John J. Diamond (attorney), 1955.

Made theater debut as a child at age 4 in Atlanta, GA; performed with a vaudeville act until age 12, where she specialized in acrobatic and barefoot toe dancing; 1st appeared in burlesque at Bijou Theater in Philadelphia, PA (1931); performed at nightclubs and in burlesque shows throughout Northeast (1940s), including at The Republic in New York for 15 years, as well as the Old Howard Theater in Boston and Billy Rose's Casino de Paris.

See also autobiography, My Life in Burlesque (1973).