Tami Roche was named Miss Burlesque in 1966 and her career took off, performing across the country and on Broadway, before moving to Atlanta in 1969 to headline at the Body Shoppe for a few weeks. Weeks turned into years and she made her way to the Domino Lounge, where she developed her famous champagne glass bath act. She even had Russ Meyer, famous sexplotation film director, write a script for her!

We talked about her early childhood, her entry into burlesque, how she chose her stage name, how she became "Tassel Twirling Tami", her move to Atlanta, marriage to the club owner, his sudden death and the battle to keep and run four clubs as a woman in the 1970s. And best of all, the origin story of her famous bathtub act. 

https://gofund.me/0e5816385

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsk6V4mXIBM

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A special bonus episode to share my interview with Cliff Norris and David Aurilio to learn about the histories of the Atlanta Freedom Bands, a nonprofit community music organization made up of LGBTQ+ musicians and allies that includes a full concert band, marching band, jazz ensemble, and several small groups, and Voices of Note, the nonprofit organization that oversees Atlanta's LGBTQ+ choral groups, including the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and the Atlanta Women’s Chorus.

We covered the history of how these groups formed in Atlanta, why they were needed and how they fared through the AIDS crisis. In the upcoming weeks, each group has several concerts, including the one that I am hosting on December 20th! 

Events:

Holidays on Peachtree Street

Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus

Atlanta Women’s Chorus

Other Links:

Before Chosewood Park was a neighborhood with winding streets, skyline views, and a curious little road called Climax Street, it was Muscogee land—until Georgia land lotteries, and forced removal reshaped the entire region. 

From John Miller Clark Reed’s 600-acre homestead… to the Nolan sisters and the Turmans, whose names still echo through the street grid… to a forgotten cemetery where descendants of Michelle Obama’s ancestor were laid to rest, and we’ll watch the neighborhood transform as the Federal Penitentiary and the Chevrolet plant are built. 

The best massage therapist in Atlanta 

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This week, I am sharing an oral history recording I did last year with Matthew Norwood, pastor of Bible Way Ministries. His father developed Norwood Manor, where he still lives, and he shared about his life, calling for the ministry and small congregation in Atlanta grew into a pillar of hope and service.

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From crystal balls to courthouse battles, this episode with Liz Clappin and Cynthia Jennings, dives into the history of fortune telling — from the start of Spiritualism, to Atlanta as a hotspot for spiritualists, mediums, and prophets, a place where faith, folklore, and hustles collided.

We talk about Queen Kulu, Nancy Kendell, and Tobie Grant - and mysterious male fortune teller who exposed secrets and then left town. 

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Ever wonder what I’d do with $5 million if saving it was off the table? Or which unsung women of Atlanta’s past I’d invite to a dinner party? In Volume 5 of my Q&A series, I’m answering 12 listener questions — from my favorite neighborhoods and nerdy research habits to the most frustrating parts of podcast production. Plus, I’ll reveal the stories I can’t wait to dive into next and where I see this podcast by episode 600.

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This week, I am so excited to share my interview with my friend Julie B. Johnson, where we talk about her latest project, Dancing in Darktown. I’m honored to collaborate with her new work focusing on Black dance halls in Atlanta from 1890-1920. 

Dancing with Digital Archives in Atlanta workshop

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This week, I am sharing an interview with Stan Washington, veteran journalist and editor-at-large of The Atlanta Voice. We discuss his career in PR, radio and how he arrived at The Voice, and his unwavering commitment to the Black press. This is a conversation about journalism and a call to preserve and support the institutions that continue to amplify Black voices and shape the narrative from within the community.

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In 1950s Georgia, faced with school desegregation, the governor’s plan was simple: abolish public schools. This episode dives into Atlanta’s tense response to Brown v. Board, the courage of 80 white ministers who spoke out against segregation, and the backlash that followed. rom sermons and manifestos to church bombings and cautious integration, we explore how religion, politics, and protest collided in a city trying to avoid another Little Rock.

https://bobshands.com/oasis/ 

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In the fall of 1971, a group of volunteers in Atlanta set out to build a radio station by the people, for the people. By 1973, WRFG was on the airwaves, amplifying voices that mainstream media refused to touch: Black activists, women, laborers, LGBTQ, ex-convicts, and musicians from every walk of life.

But just two months after launch, Atlanta police tried to shut it down — accusing the station of spreading radical politics. From 32 watts to 100,000, this is the story of how one scrappy, volunteer-run station was born in Atlanta.

https://wrfg.org/programschedule/

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