Wayland Parrott Flowers Jr. (November 26, 1939 – October 11, 1988) was an American actor, comedian and puppeteer.[1] Flowers was best known for the comedy act he created with his puppet Madame. His performances as "Wayland Flowers and Madame" were a major national success on stage and on screen in the 1970s and 1980s.
Wayland Parrott Flowers Jr. was born November 26, 1939 in Dawson, Georgia, and was raised there. Flowers created Madame in the mid-1960s. Flowers' first big break was an appearance on The Andy Williams Show. The character of Madame is an "outrageous old broad" who entertains with double entendres and witty comebacks. Bedecked in fabulous evening wear and "summer diamonds" ("Some are diamonds; some are not"), Madame's look is based on movie stars such as Gloria Swanson. Madame may have been based on a Washington, DC gay icon, waitress and restaurant hostess Margo MacGregor.[2]
Madame's many TV appearances included Laugh-In; a long run on the game show Hollywood Squares (replacing Paul Lynde in The Center Square); a recurring comedy skit on Solid Gold; a regular on ABC's short-lived summer replacement show called Keep on Truckin', TV guest spots; and as the star of her own syndicated 1982 sitcom, Madame's Place.
Flowers and Madame were in the center square on the final NBC episode of Hollywood Squares in June 1980; host Peter Marshall asked Madame the final game question of the daytime series, which was "Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Strauss lived in the same place. Where did they all live?" Madame's "comic" answer: "At the YMCA!" Then her "serious" answer: Germany. (The correct answer: Austria.)
Flowers' other puppets included Crazy Mary (an escapee from Bellevue mental hospital), Jiffy (a Harlem harlot with a heart of brass), Macklehoney (a crotchety, retired vaudeville comedian). His puppet Smedley worked with Marlo Thomas on Free to Be... You and Me.
Personal life
Flowers was one of the first mainstream entertainers who was openly gay.[3]
Death
Sometime during his four-year stint on Solid Gold, Flowers was diagnosed with HIV. He did not publicly announce his diagnosis and continued to perform. Flowers eventually developed Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-related cancer. On September 2, 1988, he collapsed onstage while performing at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe. After a brief hospitalization, he returned to his hometown of Dawson, Georgia, where he visited family.[4] Upon returning to Los Angeles, he moved into the hospice Hughes House for palliative care.[5] On October 11, 1988, Flowers died at Hughes House of complications from AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma at the age of 48.[6][7] His remains were cremated at Grand View Memorial Park & Crematory in Glendale, California, and shipped back to his hometown of Dawson, Georgia, where they were interred at Cedar Hills Cemetery.[8]
Flowers bequeathed his estate to his manager, Marlena Shell.[9]
Legacy
Flowers co-wrote the book Madame: My Misbegotten Memoirs, with Gary Simmons which was published in 1983.[10]
Ten years after Flowers's death, Madame returned to the stage with entertainer Rick Skye. After appearances on several television shows, performances of "It's Madame with an E" began November 15, 2008, at Resorts Atlantic City.[9][11] During 2010, the show also toured the US.[12]
Flowers inspired the first name of Waylon Smithers, a fictional character on the animated TV series The Simpsons, who later came out as gay.[13]
^AP (October 12, 1988). "Wayland Flowers Dies; Ventriloquist Was 48". The New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
^Najafi, Yusef (July 26, 2007). "Universal Mother: Saying goodbye to Margo". MetroWeekly. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
^Anderson-Minshall, Diane (March 4, 2013). "Madame's Back and Randy As Ever". The Advocate. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
^Jones, Jack (October 12, 1988). "Wayland Flowers; Creator of Risque Puppet Madame". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
^Gilliam, Jerry; Braun, Stephen (October 28, 1988). "AIDS Hospices Bonds Get Tentative OK". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
^"Wayland Flowers Dies; Ventriloquist Was 48". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 12, 1988. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
^Los Angeles County death certificate number 38819045556, registered October 13, 1988 by Donald W. Long, M.D.
^Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3 ed.). McFarland. p. 247. ISBN978-0-786-47992-4.
^ abFerber, Lawrence (December 23, 2008). "The Divine Miss M." The Advocate. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
^Flowers, Wayland (1983). Madame: My Misbegotten Memoirs. Dodd, Mead. ISBN9780396082347.
^Resorts Atlantic City website, retrieved November 10, 2008
^"Tour Dates: "It's Madame with an E"". MadameandMe.com. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
^Goertz, Allie; Prescott, Julia (August 8, 2016). "I Married Marge (with Jeff Martin)" (Podcast). Maximum Fun. Event occurs at 61:28. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
^Spencer, Samuel (May 20, 2022). "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 7, Episode 2 Recap: A Game of Two Snatches". NewsWeek. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
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Wayland Parrott Flowers Jr November 26 1939 October 11 1988 was an American actor comedian and puppeteer 1 Flowers was best known for the comedy act he created with his puppet Madame His performances as Wayland Flowers and Madame were a major national success on stage and on screen in the 1970s and 1980s Wayland FlowersWayland Flowers and Madame from Madame s PlaceBornWayland Parrott Flowers Jr 1939 11 26 November 26 1939Dawson Georgia U S DiedOctober 11 1988 1988 10 11 aged 48 Los Angeles California U S Resting placeCedar Hill CemeteryNationalityAmericanOccupation s Actor comedian and puppeteerYears active1960 1988 Contents 1 Career 2 Personal life 3 Death 4 Legacy 5 References 6 External linksCareer EditWayland Parrott Flowers Jr was born November 26 1939 in Dawson Georgia and was raised there Flowers created Madame in the mid 1960s Flowers first big break was an appearance on The Andy Williams Show The character of Madame is an outrageous old broad who entertains with double entendres and witty comebacks Bedecked in fabulous evening wear and summer diamonds Some are diamonds some are not Madame s look is based on movie stars such as Gloria Swanson Madame may have been based on a Washington DC gay icon waitress and restaurant hostess Margo MacGregor 2 Madame s many TV appearances included Laugh In a long run on the game show Hollywood Squares replacing Paul Lynde in The Center Square a recurring comedy skit on Solid Gold a regular on ABC s short lived summer replacement show called Keep on Truckin TV guest spots and as the star of her own syndicated 1982 sitcom Madame s Place Flowers and Madame were in the center square on the final NBC episode of Hollywood Squares in June 1980 host Peter Marshall asked Madame the final game question of the daytime series which was Mozart Beethoven Schubert and Strauss lived in the same place Where did they all live Madame s comic answer At the YMCA Then her serious answer Germany The correct answer Austria Flowers other puppets included Crazy Mary an escapee from Bellevue mental hospital Jiffy a Harlem harlot with a heart of brass Macklehoney a crotchety retired vaudeville comedian His puppet Smedley worked with Marlo Thomas on Free to Be You and Me Personal life EditFlowers was one of the first mainstream entertainers who was openly gay 3 Death EditSometime during his four year stint on Solid Gold Flowers was diagnosed with HIV He did not publicly announce his diagnosis and continued to perform Flowers eventually developed Kaposi s sarcoma an AIDS related cancer On September 2 1988 he collapsed onstage while performing at Harrah s in Lake Tahoe After a brief hospitalization he returned to his hometown of Dawson Georgia where he visited family 4 Upon returning to Los Angeles he moved into the hospice Hughes House for palliative care 5 On October 11 1988 Flowers died at Hughes House of complications from AIDS related Kaposi s sarcoma at the age of 48 6 7 His remains were cremated at Grand View Memorial Park amp Crematory in Glendale California and shipped back to his hometown of Dawson Georgia where they were interred at Cedar Hills Cemetery 8 Flowers bequeathed his estate to his manager Marlena Shell 9 Legacy EditFlowers co wrote the book Madame My Misbegotten Memoirs with Gary Simmons which was published in 1983 10 Ten years after Flowers s death Madame returned to the stage with entertainer Rick Skye After appearances on several television shows performances of It s Madame with an E began November 15 2008 at Resorts Atlantic City 9 11 During 2010 the show also toured the US 12 Flowers inspired the first name of Waylon Smithers a fictional character on the animated TV series The Simpsons who later came out as gay 13 American drag queen Raja Gemini performed as Madame on RuPaul s Drag Race All Stars season 7 on the show s Snatch Game a game inspired by the TV game show Match Game 14 References Edit AP October 12 1988 Wayland Flowers Dies Ventriloquist Was 48 The New York Times Retrieved December 30 2006 Najafi Yusef July 26 2007 Universal Mother Saying goodbye to Margo MetroWeekly Retrieved November 29 2013 Anderson Minshall Diane March 4 2013 Madame s Back and Randy As Ever The Advocate Retrieved January 26 2017 Jones Jack October 12 1988 Wayland Flowers Creator of Risque Puppet Madame Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 26 2017 Gilliam Jerry Braun Stephen October 28 1988 AIDS Hospices Bonds Get Tentative OK Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 26 2017 Wayland Flowers Dies Ventriloquist Was 48 The New York Times Associated Press October 12 1988 Retrieved December 30 2006 Los Angeles County death certificate number 38819045556 registered October 13 1988 by Donald W Long M D Wilson Scott 2016 Resting Places The Burial Sites of More Than 14 000 Famous Persons 3 ed McFarland p 247 ISBN 978 0 786 47992 4 a b Ferber Lawrence December 23 2008 The Divine Miss M The Advocate Retrieved November 29 2013 Flowers Wayland 1983 Madame My Misbegotten Memoirs Dodd Mead ISBN 9780396082347 Resorts Atlantic City website retrieved November 10 2008 Tour Dates It s Madame with an E MadameandMe com Retrieved November 29 2013 Goertz Allie Prescott Julia August 8 2016 I Married Marge with Jeff Martin Podcast Maximum Fun Event occurs at 61 28 Retrieved April 4 2018 Spencer Samuel May 20 2022 RuPaul s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Episode 2 Recap A Game of Two Snatches NewsWeek Retrieved May 20 2022 External links Edit Biography portalWayland Flowers at IMDb July amp August 2006 NYC Show A Comeback From Abroad Archived from the original on March 13 2007 Wayland Flowers and Madame at the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wayland Flowers amp oldid 1089799984, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
