"I got through Brenda Frazier, and I'm here." —Follies

Brenda Frazier was born in 1921 and became one of the era’s infamous Poor Little Rich Girls. But the thing that set her apart from Doris Duke, Barbara Hutton, and Gloria Vanderbilt is that she didn’t have a successful second act. Even Gloria Vanderbilt had jeans!

In fact, the only reason we still know Brenda Frazier is that she went to night clubs a lot and threw a party. Her debutante party was so extreme, so over the top, that she’s still a Name people recognize. Walter Winchell coined "celebutante" to describe her. She was on the cover of Life Magazine. And her coming out party was so extreme and over-the-top and publicized that she spent the rest of her life under its shadow. As this Diane Arbus photo can attest.

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/diane-arbus-brenda-diana-duff-frazier-1938-debutante-of-the-year-at-home-3

Today we investigate what led up to that party, the insane custody battle over Brenda, and the decades-long repercussions of being America's Queen of Cafe Society.

Logo: Jessica Balaschak