Sherry Britton
Encyclopedia
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
performer of the 1930's and early 1940's. The 5'3" (160 cm) Britton had an 18" (46cm) waist, and was once said to have a "figure to die for". She was born Edith Zack, in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
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When burlesque went by the wayside due to the NYC ban in 1940, Britton turned to plays, eventually appearing in almost 40 of them. Britton also spent much time during WWII entertaining troops, for which she was made an honorary Brigadier General by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
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Britton was performing in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
clubs as late as 1958 (at or near age 40). She was barred from appearing at the 1964 New York World's Fair, because she was too risque. She instead became a cabaret singer and appeared in many theater productions.
In 1971, Britton, who had been married twice previously, and who once said she'd been engaged "14 times", married wealthy businessman Robert Gross (no relation to aviator Robert E. Gross). Gross urged her to attend Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. Although Britton had never attended high school, she was said to have a very high IQ. She attended Fordham and graduated pre-law in 1982, magna cum laude, at the age of 63.
After Gross died in 1990, Britton lived a life of retirement, stepping back into the limelight in 1993 on her 75th birthday performing at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Broadway in NYC.
Britton died of natural causes on April 1, 2008.