Clark: Revisiting Billy Tipton’s Legacy

It all began 25 years ago with a tip from Spokane County Coroner Graham McConnell. “Clark,” he told me, “you’re not going to believe this, but …” That’s how I learned the fantastic secret that Billy Tipton, a well-known Spokane jazz musician and booking agent, couldn’t quite carry to the grave. Tipton died of a bleeding ulcer, but that wasn’t the story. The shocker was that Tipton was born Dorothy Lucille in 1914. She borrowed her brother William’s name to play jazz as a teenager and kept up the male masquerade for 54 years. The performance was worthy of an Academy Award. None of Tipton’s three adopted sons knew the secret. Ditto the many musicians who played with Tipton/ Doug Clark , SR. More here. (Kathy Plonka SR photo: William Tipton Jr. holds his dad’s saxophone as he talked about his life at his home in Spokane Valley on Friday)

Question: Did you ever hear Billy Tipton play?