Customer Reviews

Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When Billy Tipton died in 1989, the world rushed in and gave him, briefly, the larger fame he had once nibbled at as a jazz musician and entertainer. But in June of 1958, after 20 years of chasing the brass ring, when the door to the big time world of popular music opened and beckoned Billy in, he backed away from the spotlight, settling for playing the hotel ballrooms and clubs of greater Spokane, Washington. In Suits Me, Stanford University English professor Diane Wood Middlebrook explores both the geography of jazz and swing in the heartland of America, and the geography of gender in the middle of the 20th century. Because underneath his dapper suits and corny comedy routines, Mr. Billy Tipton concealed the body of a woman, and when he died, his sex revealed by paramedics and the coroner's report, he left hundreds of people who knew him, and millions more who heard the news, astounded by his "deception..."

Professor Middlebrook's research has been thorough, and she has spoken with most of Tipton's living relatives, former wives, business partners and many other musicians of the era. What she reveals to her readers is a fully textured portrait of an era and a man who worked hard and earned every privilege he received. She lets us almost hear the music, taste the dust from the roads Billy and his bandmates and partners traveled. She lets the people who knew him comment on whether they thought he was a man or a woman. She lays out the mystery of how others perceived and ignored or challenged Billy's gender presentation, and the l! engths to which Billy went to protect his secret, which sometimes wasn't all that hidden.

Suits Me is an amazing story filled with strange reversals: Billy had a male cousin named Bonnie, his mother's nickname was Reggie, his first "wife" had left her husband, Earl, for a life on the road and was known as Non Earl. And there were enough female musicians on the circuit in those days that cross-dressing to the extent that Billy did should not have been necessary to maintain a career, as many people have conjectured to justify Billy's behavior.

Billy's death and the revelation of his "true sex" led various groups to claim his memory as a symbol of their own cause: lesbians said he lived as a man to safely love women; feminists said he lived as a man in order to have a career; transsexuals said he lived as a man because he was a man-he just didn't avail himself of the medical technology to make himself legal. Because Billy never declared himself any of these things (although he did declare himself a man), it seems presumptuous for any group to claim such an independent spirit as their own. But Billy also acknowledged to some family members that he remained a woman in body; to one female cousin he intimated he would one day go back to living as a woman once the kids he had adopted with his last wife, Kitty, were grown and out on their own, and to another female cousin he declared that he had made a conscious choice to live as a man and that he was a normal person. It is only respectful to refer to Billy with masculine pronouns, using the male gender he so completely inhabited. Middlebrook skillfully interweaves masculine and feminine pronouns to reflect the understanding of the people Billy interacts with, and to acknowledge the reality of Billy's body. In this way, she creates a striking sense of the incongruity of gender and body that Billy lived with, and others like him still live with every day.

There is only one point of contention where I take exception to Middlebrook's analysis of Tipton'! s motivations. She assumes that the absence of breast bindings or genital prosthetics (pants stuffers) from Billy's body at his death, and from his personal effects, was an indication that he was anticipating discovery. I contend this can't be known. He may have simply grown weary of the apparatus, seeing no need for it since he had retired from public life. Perhaps he felt he had earned the right to be a man in his own skin, regardless of its shape. Perhaps it was with relief that he discarded those accoutrements years earlier. And I suspect that, unless diagnosed with a terminal illness, most of us don't realize the finality of our own death even when the moment is upon us. It is dramatic and appealing to conjecture that he staged the conditions of his discovery as consciously as he had staged the presentation of his gender identity, but I contend that the simple reality of Billy's life is more appealing: he was socially a man and physically a woman. That dichotomy fascinates us, and we struggle to rationalize it, to explain it, to defend it or to tear it apart. Depending on our allegiances, we rush to invalidate either the body or the soul that informed it. But I think both are real and valid, and that Billy Tipton's life simply illustrates one person's adaptation to his situation. Without a definitive statement from Tipton, which he never gave, his life is open to any interpretation, whether insensitive or informed. In spite of this one logical flaw in her analysis, I think Middlebrook has composed a fine portrait of an artist, one that will ultimately give readers some insight to the reality of what we now call the transgendered experience as it was lived before the modern transgender movement had established itself.

This is an important book, both for the history in it, and for its vivid depiction of the brave determination of Billy Tipton that his talent, energy and love sustained. Some transpeople may be put off by the pronoun inconsistency, feeling that the only way to treat Billy i! s as the man he wanted to be and was-the way others perceived him, for the most part, in his vibrant life. Some transpeople may find the reflection of the very real challenges Billy struggled with in his female body to be a welcome reality check for their own experience with incongruous gender and bodies. Non-trans people should find this study a stimulating, evocative read, one that pulls back the curtain just enough to expose the tantalizing mystery of a very American life.

I remember being called by a friend when Billy Tipton died. "She GOT AWAY WITH IT", my friend crowed. I've been waiting for a biography of this amazing person ever since and was not disappointed with SUITS ME. But it's difficult to realize that the events in the latter half of this story took place within my lifetime--at times they seem to have occurred on another planet. The most surprising thing about the book is the tolerance of Tipton's behaviour shown by a great many friends and relatives in a traditionally conservative part of the country. But rural Oklahoma in the thirties seems to have been full of men with womanish-sounding names and mannishly-named women, and no one thought anything of the occasional cross-dresser (the most hilarious episode is when Tipton meets the radio announcer who also passed as a man). As one friend of Tipton's says in SUITS ME: "There weren't as many mean people around then." The unconditional love some people have for friend and family is the true message of this book.

Diane Middlebrook has been blessed with such a fascinating subject for this biography that it would be a poor writer indeed who sapped the story of its interest. Yet the author faces a daunting challenge because so little documentary evidence remains concerning the life of Dorothy/Billy Tipton, especially for the early years. Fortunately, Middlebrook is up to the task, and where she can't provide content she supplies invaluable context for the life of a locally famous jazz singer now known less for his musical talent than for a closeted, transgendered (and, I would argue, brave) life.

Between her birth in Oklahoma and his arrival in Spokane, Tipton somehow made the transformation from an eccentric saxophone- and piano-playing young woman to a married husband, father, bandleader, and talent agent. In the absence of any firsthand information from Tipton himself, Middlebrook has to rely on a scattered selection of photographs, a handful of letters, and on interviews with the few people still alive who knew Dorothy in Oklahoma and the many who knew Billy in Spokane. She concludes, correctly I think, that Tipton initially became a male impersonator primarily to get a job in the male-dominated jazz circuit and eventually grew so comfortable in the role that what may have begun as a career choice gradually became a social choice. Tipton's lesbianism surely contributed to the self-assured ease with which she made this transformation.

For the early years of Tipton's life, Middlebrook doesn't have a lot to go on, and I was wary when reading that she had "to substitute imagination for the absent documentation." Yet in the pages that follow this statement, the author doesn't depart far from reality: over half of the material describes Tipton's hometown through the eyes of others and a good chunk is directly quoted source material. Even when the record is vague about Dorothy Tipton herself, the reader gets a feel for the small-town culture that she undoubtedly experienced and for the Depression-era jazz clubs in which Tipton surely performed.

Middlebrook likewise speculates that Tipton's fear of exposure nixed his band's big break during the 1950s, which would have included recording contracts and the opportunity to open in Nevada casinos for such star performers as Liberace (an irony of a different sort). Tipton's double life was well-known in Oklahoma, and his success as a father and businessman certainly hinged on keeping his profile within the confines of the Northwest. The author also fills in the gaps in our knowledge of Tipton's life with tangents that are mesmerizing on their own, such as the story of Alberta Lucille Hart, another Spokane resident who became radiologist and novelist Alan L. Hart during the first half of the twentieth century.

It's impossible not to finish this book with a sense of appreciation for Tipton's daring. Tipton's first triumph, of course, is the amazing ability to pull it off. But, even more impressive, he managed to do so and leave behind him an astonishing number of people of all ages and backgrounds--wives, adopted sons, in-laws, and show business colleagues--who clearly loved and admired him and who, although stunned by the posthumous revelation that he was biologically a woman, continue to think of him fondly.

It's safe to say that there is another side to most of us. No matter who you are, or how big or little it is, or how serious. There is something there that we don't tell others. But the lies and deception in this book from the man/woman it comes from, top it all. The book details the life of respected jazz musician, Billy Lee Tipton. A bright, funny, good natured and handsome young man, who wanted nothing more than to play the music he loved and to have a career doing it. Sounds nice, right?. Billy was born Dorothy Tipton. A she. From the age of 19 up until his death at the age of 74 in 1989, Dorothy had lived as a man. Billy. The writer of this fine and incredible biography, Diane Wood Middlebrook, can't easily answer most of the questions that anyone who knows the story or reads the book will want to know. Why?. Mainly because there is no real way of knowing. Billy Tipton was an incredible mystery. A mystery that the man himself only had the answers too, and he kept them with him when he went to the grave. Only Billy knows why he did it, and he never let it out. Sure, there were some who kind of had an idea along the way, and some who did know, but nothing came of it. The questions his story raise can only be met with ideas and suggestions of the author, and our own viewpoint. The book goes into detail how this man lived and worked. The details of the gigs he would play around the country. The most interesting thing here is that he was able to have five wives!. And according to them, they never knew anything. I have always known the story and it would be appealing and interesting no matter what, but I have a strong connection to it since Billy spent the last 26 or 27 years of his life here in my hometown. Billy's sexuality is the most mysterious. He went for real women, so was she really a lesbian?. What were her thoughts and wants?. No one knows. And why did she do it?. Some say that because back when she was growing up, women were in the background. Men up front. Women had their parts, and the men went off and did the work. There were some women who may of been in groups and what not, but a lot of them were background singers. Some lucky few broke thru the barriers and had solo careers. So did Billy do it so he could actually get a break in the business he wanted in to play the music he loved?. Who knows. It's an odd and infuriating tale since Billy is still a gigantic question mark at the end just as much as he was in the beginning. Middlebrook writes with such a deep understanding and respect for Tipton, and she makes it such an absorbing and compelling read. You could read the whole thing in one day if you wanted too. It's that good. From his stormy upbringing, to his bizarre adult and senior life, Middlebrook creates a brilliant book about a most peculiar and sensational person. A must read.

I am always on the lookout for interesting books. I got the recommendation from Bob Dylan's show "Theme Time Radio" and I have to admit that I was a bit sceptical about Tipton's dual role and the attempted coverup and whether this book would end up being a dull one.
It was neither, the story was fascinating and apparently true and the writing was vibrant.
I came in with few expectations and ended up with no regrets. Enjoy it.

The shear thought that a woman the public had access to passed as a male jazz musician in the mid 20th century is mind-boggling. Only until Billy Tipton's death was her secret revealed. I found myself racing through this book at every spare moment satisfying my curiousity for how she pulled off her "show". The collection of photographs and memoirs is great.

I first heard the Billy Tipton saga on the program "Mysteries and Scandals." I was concerned that the book was going to be handled in the style of the National Enquirer. So I'd like to say, that if you're looking for "the dirt" on Billy Tipton, if you only need to know the sexual aspects in explicit details, then go buy a rag magazine at the checkout counter at Kmart. On the other hand, if you are of a "higher mentality" and can view this book as a chronological trip through Billy Tipton's life, you'll be extremely satisfied. At first,I just had a lot of sympathy for Billy Tipton. But as I read, I found that anyone who knew him, regarded him as a kind, loving and giving person. No one had a rotten thing to say about Billy Tipton. Most of them knew Billy as Dorothy and just accepted and respected that. We seldom see those kind of principles these days.

I liked the fact that the author took the time to "paint a picture" of what times were like in places like Joplin, Missouri or Spokane Washington. She included some jazz/musical history, medical terminology regarding cross-gender - a LOT of research was done. The bottom line was that Billy Tipton had a true "passion" for jazz, found a way to fulfill this passion, faced many obstacles, but I doubt that he ever meant to hurt anyone - (And he didn't, really).

That's one heck of an epitaph for anybody. Billy Tipton - made a choice, carried it through and did it his way. A person way ahead of their time. Enjoy the book.

I am familiar with Billy Tipton through his two records and a few magazine articles I had read in my early teens. When I found out this book existed I was very eager to get my hands on a copy. Even though I am well aware that there is no way to get a completely accurate picture of a man who died in 1989, I still had a few expectations: Small facts about his gigs, perhaps a well educated opinion piece on transgender issues, stuff like that. The author delivered on facts, though I can't say that they would be too interesting to anyone who wasn't already interested in the first place. Personally I found the author's writing style to be a tad too dry, but I was still satisfied with that aspect of the book. If Middlebrook had stuck to the facts, I might have rated it a 4.

Unfortunately, as I should have guessed from the title, the author felt it would be appropriate to sneak in her uneducated opinion on Tipton's story. Really early on in the book (page 8) Middlebrook insinuates that Billy, living as a married/divorced straight man (complete with a male gender marker on his ID) with adopted children who saw him as a father, was simply an act for the sake of an intentional low-key career in Jazz and that "she" wanted "her" accomplishments to be brought to light in the end, as if his death was all part of the show. I'm no expert, but not only is this theory unlikely, it makes for annoyingly poor reading.

There isn't a lot of information on Billy Tipton out there, so if you are really interested in him get the book. If you are looking for an informed and educated opinion on transgender issues and how they could have applied to Tipton, walk the other way and don't look back.

Submitted for your consideration: the curious tale of one Dorothy Tipton, AKA Billy Tipton---jazz pianist, husband, father, showman, raconteur, and male impersonator par excellence.

On the surface, this story does seem like fodder for Rod Serling. Billy Tipton was a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, but his story is nonetheless quintessentially American. Nobody excels at reinvention quite as well as Americans. Reinventing oneself is part of the American dream, and as author Diane Middlebrook explains, Dorothy Tipton adopted male clothing and became Billy Tipton in order to pursue her dream of becoming a jazz artist. The chances of female instrumentalists for joining or fronting jazz bands were slim and none in 1935. But Billy/Dorothy was very versatile, likable, and energetic and she parlayed her talents as a musician, arranger and showman into a respectable career, as the leader of small jazz combos in the Western U.S. Paradoxically, her fear of being exposed as a male impersonator, or "cross-dresser" in the parlance of the time, kept her mired in the semi-successful life of a musician who played "the circuit."

I think this book succeeds best as a portrait of Americana. Middlebrook does a fine job of capturing the flavor of Oklahoma, Kansas City, Spokane and the places in between that Billy traversed as a musician. She also delineates very well the fresh-scrubbed, impish, oddly sympathetic figure of Billy herself. Where she stumbles a bit is in her tendency to overanalyze, and to sometimes adopt the tone of Billy's risque and cheap humor within her own writing--she sometimes goes for the too easy and the too obvious turn of phrase. She also sidesteps the issue of Tipton's Lesbianism ( though Billy formed several long term relationships with women and adopted the role of husband to her "wives"). It's all a bit confusing. But because Tipton was not "woman identified" and adopted the role of a man, Middlebrook isn't sure whether to call her a Lesbian. Somehow I don't think the biographers of Romaine Brooks had this problem. Middlebrook is a veteran biographer of high-brow poets like Anne Sexton, and an "odd duck" like Billy must have been a great challenge for her to write about--hence, the somewhat tacked-on, weak resolution in the book's final page.

Still, the book is by and large very entertaining and well worth reading. Americans have an appetite for stories about chameleon-like personalities. Witness "The Great Impostor" with Tony Curtis, and the more recent "Catch Me If you Can" movie with Leonardo DaCaprio. Perhaps people admire these "poseurs'' ability to adapt for their own survival, or maybe it's just that most people at some time in their lives feel as if they are "faking it", or have doubts about their own identity. Billy Tipton was basically a very common and decent person who held on to an uncommon secret for fifty years. Her life celebrates both the value of the groundbreaking individual,who who didn't accept the constraints of gender, and the value of the hardworking common citizen who reaps only the reward of being remembered fondly at the end of life. Hers was a life worth pondering---interesting and troubling,and worthy of this biography.

It really shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to get through this book. Dorothy "Billy" Tipton's life was fascinating, bold, joyous, sad and unusual. Her life as a talented male jazz musician, at a time when it was challenging for women to get gigs as serious jazz musicians is well chronicled in this book. But despite all the facts, occasional speculation, and details of Billy Tiptons life, this was a very dry read and at times a chore.

Yes, I was fully engaged in the STORY because on it's own it is quite powerful and intriguing. It was expertly researched, but Ms. Middlebrook's prose leaves something to be desired. Read this book to learn how this woman spent most of her life as a man, and had wives, lovers and children (adopted), many who didn't know she was a man. However, if you are looking for exciting reading, this book will leave you dissapointed.