Early Life and Career
Jackie Curtis was born in New York City to John Holder, Sr. and Jenevive Uglialoro. He performed as both a man and a woman throughout his career. While performing in drag, Curtis would typically wear lipstick, glitter, bright red hair, and ripped and torn dresses and stockings. Curtis pioneered this unique style, a combination of trash and glamour which has prompted assertions that Curtis inspired the "Glitter rock" or "Glam Rock" movement of the 1970s.
"Jackie Curtis is not a drag queen. Jackie is an artist. A pioneer without a frontier", Andy Warhol said of his associate. Primarily a stage actor, Curtis debuted at the age of 17 in Tom Eyen's play Miss Neferititi Regrets. Curtis began to write his own plays immediately after this experience, often featuring famous transsexuals, such as Candy Darling and, later, Holly Woodlawn, both of whom appeared in his productions, which enjoyed successful runs at La MaMa and were well-reviewed. Curtis' work was inspired, in part, by the Playhouse of the Ridiculous. As writer and lead actor his plays include Glamour, Glory and Gold, which also starred Candy Darling, Melba LaRose, Jr. and Robert De Niro in his first appearance on stage, playing several roles; Vain Victory, Amerika Cleopatra featuring Harvey Fierstein; Femme Fatale, with Patti Smith, Jayne County and Penny Arcade; and Heaven Grand In Amber Orbit with Holly Woodlawn.
Andy Warhol and his director Paul Morrissey cast Curtis and Candy Darling in Flesh (1968) and, with the addition of Holly Woodlawn, in Women in Revolt (1971); a comedic spoof of the women's liberation movement.
Curtis was also a singer and poet. In 1974 Curtis and Woodlawn appeared in the critically acclaimed Cabaret in the Sky at the New York Cultural Center. A CD of songs by Paul Serrato from the Curtis musicals Lucky Wonderful and Vain Victory, including the love ballad "Who Are You", which Curtis sang (as a man) to Candy Darling, was released in 2004. Curtis' poem B-Girls, much of which is based on his observations of people who visited his grandmother's bar, Slugger Anns, led to Curtis' inclusion in the 1979 book The Poets' Encyclopedia. It was the longest poem in the book, spanning a total of eight pages.
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