Queer Wisconsin — A living history of LGBTQ+ life in Wisconsin

A living history of LGBTQ+ life in Wisconsin

Person

Holly Brown Tongue

Milwaukee

Biography

The singer, comedienne, and dancer Holly Brown started out performing at Club 219, then headed up "Holly and Company", a troupe whose shows at La Cage in the 1980s gained for them an enthusiastic following among both the Gay/Lesbian and straight communities. See the Obituary below for more about her early life, career, and time in Milwaukee.

Images

The following are recollections of others who have been kind enough to submit their personal memories to the webmaster. You are welcome to do the same! For Halloween 1989, I built Holly a Victorian style coffin so she could "lie in state" as Bette Davis for the La Cage "Holly Brown & Co." Halloween show (Bette had died a couple of weeks prior.) She was amazing: she laid in repose through the entire show, and just as they were playing the show's closing overture (remember, the opening and closing overture for her show?) she sat up in the coffin and shouted "Wait a minute (a-la Davis)" and then climbed out of the coffin and did a parody version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" ("Dead for the very first time, you know" she sang.) I am so glad I have those memories and thanks for stirring them for me... / -- Dean McB. via Facebook Holly was brought to Milwaukee by Ginger Spice, who met her in Chicago. She lived with Ginger(Richard Wyatt RIP) in Libertyville for quite a while before they both moved to Milwaukee. She was part of the 219 shows for a long time, before going to LaCage down the street to do her own thing. We toured together with the 3 of us for a summer in the mid-'80s. She was an accomplished painter as well as a performer who adored classic films. / -- Bjorn Olaf N. via Facebook Going to the Sunday night Holly Brown Revue was my first exposure to gay nightlife/culture when I was young and just coming out. So many great memories 🙂. Can anyone confirm a few things that I heard back then? — that (a) she was once a Rockette, (b) during that time she spent an evening with Lily Tomlin & they slept together, and (c) that she wrote an autobiography called “Oh Boy!” and a sequel called “Oh Man!” Thanks! (And thank you, Holly 💜) / -- Kurt N. via Facebook Truly had the time of my life with Holly and the show. Blessed to have been a part of it. Holly was amazing inside and out. Miss her. / -- David K. via Facebook She was so much fun. I spent a very memorable afternoon with Holly and our mutual friend, Andy. I never laughed to hard in my life! / -- John K. via Facebook Who remembers when they had a water feature on stage at Club 219? (Photo below is of) me, Holly Brown, Erica Stevens, and Ginger Spice in the mid-1980s. I cannot tell you how much I miss all of these people. Trailblazers all of them. Erica was the first person of color to be Miss Gay Wisconsin, Ginger was Miss Gay WI too, and so was I. Holly was an artist, literally whose paintings graced restaurants and my own wall at home today. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... / -- Bjorn Olaf N. via Facebook Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project
Photo of Holly Brown at Club 219 in 1980s / (shared by Bjorn Olaf N. on Facebook group) / Facebook posting