Harris Glenn Milstead (October 19, 1945 – March 7, 1988) was an actor and singer known by his drag persona Divine. He appeared in several of John Waters' films, including Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, and Hairspray, as part of Waters' regular troupe of actors known as Dreamlanders. The New York Times said of Milstead's films in the 1980s, "Those who could get past the unremitting weirdness of Divine's performance discovered that the actor/actress had genuine talent, including a natural sense of comic timing and an uncanny gift for slapstick."^[1] Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Towson is a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Drag artist Lypsinka. ... John Waters (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, personality, visual artist and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films. ... Pink Flamingos is a 1972 film directed by John Waters. ... Female Trouble is a 1974 film by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Edith Massey, Cookie Mueller, Mink Stole, Mary Vivian Pearce, Michael Potter and David Lochary. ... Polyester is a 1981 John Waters film starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole. ... This article is about the 1988 film. ... John Waters Dreamlanders refers to the cast and crew of regulars whom John Waters has used in his films. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

Early life

Milstead's high school yearbook photo at age 17.

Divine was born Harris Glenn Milstead, the only surviving child born to Harris Bernard Milstead (1917-1993) and Diana Frances "Frances" Milstead (née Vukovich). Frances had suffered two previous miscarriages in 1940 and 1943.

Milstead spent his childhood in the suburbs of Baltimore. He was born in Towson and, at the age of twelve, his family oved to Lutherville, Maryland where he attended Towson High School (he graduated in 1963). It was during those years that he became acquainted with John Waters, who lived in his neighborhood. John Waters (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, personality, visual artist and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films. ...

Career

In the 1970s, Milstead starred as Divine in a number of New York City theater pieces, including Tom Eyen's classic camp women's prison drama, Women Behind Bars, which was a major off-Broadway hit in 1976, playing the lead role of the evil matron, Pauline. Divine returned to the stage in another Tom Eyen off-Broadway play, The Neon Woman, where he played the role of Flash Storm, the owner of a sleazy strip club plagued by a series of murders. Eyen's play was loosely based on famed burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee's book, The G-String Murders. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Tom Eyen Tom Eyen (August 14, 1940 - May 26, 1991) was a Tony Award-winning, Grammy Award-winning, and Emmy Award-nominated playwright, lyricist, television writer, and theatre director. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... Women Behind Bars is a play by Tom Eyen. ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... Tom Eyen Tom Eyen (August 14, 1940 - May 26, 1991) was a Tony Award-winning, Grammy Award-winning, and Emmy Award-nominated playwright, lyricist, television writer, and theatre director. ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... For other uses, see Burlesque (disambiguation). ... Gypsy Rose Lee (also known as Rose Louise Hovick and Louise Hovick) (February 9, 1911 or 1914 – April 26, 1970) was an American actress and burlesque entertainer, whose 1957 memoir, which included a scathing portrait of her domineering mother, was made into the stage musical and film Gypsy. ... The G-String Murders is a detective novel by American stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, published in 1941. ...

Milstead starred in a number of films and was part of the regular cast known as the Dreamlanders. The Dreamlanders appeared in many of John Waters' earlier works such as Pink Flamingos (in 1972), Female Trouble, Polyester, and Hairspray. In 1985 Milstead appeared opposite Tab Hunter in their hit Lust in the Dust, repeating their successful pairing in Polyester. John Waters Dreamlanders refers to the cast and crew of regulars whom John Waters has used in his films. ... Pink Flamingos is a 1972 film directed by John Waters. ... Female Trouble is a 1974 film by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Edith Massey, Cookie Mueller, Mink Stole, Mary Vivian Pearce, Michael Potter and David Lochary. ... Polyester is a 1981 John Waters film starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole. ... This article is about the 1988 film. ... Hunter (left) with actor John Bromfield Arthur Andrew Kelm (born July 11, 1931, in New York City, New York) is an American actor and singer, and goes by the pseudonym Tab Hunter. ... Lust in the Dust is a movie starring Divine and Tab Hunter. ...

He is also remembered as a major character in the documentary homage Divine Trash by Steve Yeager, covering the life and work of John Waters. Steve Yeager is a documentary filmmaker from Baltimore, Maryland. ...

In 1988, the British film The Fruit Machine, also known as Wonderland in the United States, used Milstead's songs in a nightclub disco dance sequence that showcased an early Robbie Coltrane in drag as "Annabelle", the club's owner (a cross between Divine and Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz). Michael Caine in Get Carter (1971). ... Tony Forsyth as Michael in The Fruit Machine, a/k/a Wonderland (USA). ... For the jazz saxophonist, see Ravi Coltrane. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 - June 22, 1969) was an Academy Award-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). ... The Wizard of Oz (film) redirects here. ...

Late in his career, Milstead also played male roles in his last three films: Trouble in Mind, Hairspray, and Out of the Dark. In Hairspray he played two roles, one male and one female (which he had first done in the earlier Female Trouble). He was also the inspiration for the design of Ursula the Sea-Witch in the Disney classic The Little Mermaid. ^[2] Disney redirects here. ... The Little Mermaid is a 1989 Academy Award-winning animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation with pencil test began on September 23, 1988 and first released on November 17, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures. ...

He visited Bergen, Norway, in the mid-1980s. At that time, Polyester had been a great success at the local cinema. He was treated as a real superstar by the press and by the audience to his live show. He told in an interview with Bergen Gay Radio that this was one of only a few times when he had experienced this kind of appreciation. Usually he felt he was just some kind of industrial entertainer. County District Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2007) Gunnar Bakke (Frp) Official language form Neutral[1] Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... Polyester is a 1981 John Waters film starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole. ...

Death

In 1988 Milstead was cast as a character on the FOX prime-time series Married...With Children. Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the animal. ... Married. ...

On the evening of March 7th he was in Los Angeles staying in the Regency Hotel, and the night before he was due on set he had dinner with friends. Afterwards he returned to the hotel, and before entering his room he leaned over the balcony and sang "Arrivederci Roma." March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in Leap years). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The former Regency Hotels famous gold dome during a fire. ... Arrivederci Roma is a popular song. ...

Milstead was known for being on time when working, so when he didn’t show up the next morning for his shoot on the show people became concerned. His manager Bernard Jay went to the hotel at noon to check on him and used his passkey to get in. The autopsy later found he had died in his sleep of heart failure, or an enlarged heart. He was 42 years old.^[1] Cardiomegaly is a medical condition wherein the heart is enlarged. ...

Filmography

• Roman Candles (1966) as The Smoking Nun
• Eat Your Makeup (1968) as Jacqueline Kennedy
• The Diane Linkletter Story (1969) as Diane Linkletter
• Mondo Trasho (1969) as Divine
• Multiple Maniacs (1970) as Lady Divine
• Pink Flamingos (1972) as Divine / Babs Johnson
• Female Trouble (1974) as Dawn Davenport / Earl Peterson
• Polyester (1981) as Francine Fishpaw
• Lust in the Dust (1985) as Rosie Velez
• Trouble in Mind (1985) as Hilly Blue
• Hairspray (1988) as Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
• Out of the Dark (1989) as Det. Langella

This article is about the type of fireworks. ... The year 1966 in film involved some significant events. ... Eat Your Makeup is a 1968 film by Baltimore, Maryland, USA filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, and Maelcum Soul. ... The year 1968 in film involved some significant events. ... The Diane Linkletter Story is a 1969 short film by Baltimore, Maryland, USA filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce and David Lochary. ... The year 1969 in film involved some significant events. ... Mondo Trasho is a 1969 film by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary and Mink Stole. ... Multiple Maniacs is a 1970 film by Baltimore, Maryland, USA filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, Mink Stole, and Cookie Mueller. ... // Events February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. ... Pink Flamingos is a 1972 film directed by John Waters. ... // Top grossing films The Godfather Fiddler on the Roof Diamonds Are Forever Whats Up, Doc?, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan ONeal Dirty Harry The Last Picture Show A Clockwork Orange Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli The Hospital Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex Academy Awards Best Picture... Female Trouble is a 1974 film by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Edith Massey, Cookie Mueller, Mink Stole, Mary Vivian Pearce, Michael Potter and David Lochary. ... See also: 1973 in film 1974 1975 in film 1970s in film years in film film // Events February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in USA May 1 - George Lucas creates the first draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... Dawn Davenport is a fictional character from John Waters famous 1974 film Female Trouble, played by the infamous transvestite drag queen actor Divine. ... Polyester is a 1981 John Waters film starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole. ... // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ... Lust in the Dust is a movie starring Divine and Tab Hunter. ... // 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. ... Trouble in Mind is a 1985 neo-noir film which follows an ex-cop just released from jail after serving time for a murder sentence as he returns to the mean streets of the fictional Rain City. The film was directed and written by Alan Rudolph, and stars Kris Kristofferson... This article is about the 1988 film. ... // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... Out of the Dark is a frighteningly erotic thriller comedy/horror movie produced in 1989 starring Karen Witter, about how some LA phone-sex operators are killed by a psychotic clown killer named Bobo. ... // Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ...

Discography

In the 1980s, Divine released several dance music records which were club music hits in the United States, Europe, and Australia. Divine's records comprised synth-heavy disco music, most of it composed, created, performed, and produced by Bobby Orlando. In the United States, Divine's highest-charting songs were "Native Love", peaking at #21 on the Club Play Singles chart, and "Shoot Your Shot", which reached #39 among Club Play Singles. Divine's early U.K. releases on the Design Communications label included "Love Reaction" (which many said "borrowed" elements of New Order's big hit "Blue Monday")^{[citation needed]}, "Shake It Up", and "Shoot Your Shot". All of these releases were big gay club hits and minor mainstream chart hits^{[citation needed]}. The Stock, Aitken & Waterman-produced song "You Think You're A Man" was Divine's most successful U.K. hit, reaching #16; the song was also a Top 10 hit in Australia, reaching #8. Among the material Divine released on the Proto label in the United Kingdom was "I'm So Beautiful" (the follow-up single to "You Think You're A Man"), "Walk Like A Man" and "Twistin' The Night Away". A compilation of tracks from his Proto catalogue, entitled The Essential Divine, is currently available on iTunes. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Electronic dance music is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music and, to some extent, the experimental pop music of Kraftwerk. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Synth redirects here. ... This article is about the music genre. ... Bobby Orlando, also known as Bobby O, is a disco dance music artist and record producer who was most successful in the early-mid 1980s. ... Billboard magazines Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco) is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... Billboard magazines Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco) is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... Stock, Aitken & Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, are a British songwriting and record producing trio who had great success during the mid-late 1980s and early 1990s with many of their productions. ...

Albums

• My First Album (1982)
• Jungle Jezebel (1982)
• The Story So Far (1984)
• Maid in England (1988)
• The Best of and the Rest of (1989) (compilation)
• The 12" Collection (1993) (compilation)
• Born to Be Cheap (1995) (live)
• Shoot Your Shot (1995)
• The Originals and the Remixes (1996) (2-CD compilation)
• The Best of Divine (1997) (compilation)

Singles

Disco and Hi-NRG dance hits:

• Native Love (Step By Step) (1982) (U.S. #21 Club Play Singles)
• Shoot Your Shot (1983) (U.S. #39 Club Play Singles)
• Love Reaction (1983) (U.K. #65)
• Shake It Up (1983) (U.K. #82)
• You Think You're A Man (1984) (U.K. #16, Australia #8)
• I'm So Beautiful (1984) (U.K. #52)
• Walk Like A Man (1985) (U.K. #23)
• Twistin' The Night Away (1985) (U.K. #47)
• Hard Magic (1985) (U.K. #87)
• Hey, You! (1987)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Divine" biography. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
2. ^ Divine (answers.com)

• Jay, Bernard (1994). Not Simply Divine. New York: Fireside. ISBN 0-671-88467-0. 
• Milstead, Frances; Heffernan, Kevin; Yeager, Steve (2001). My Son Divine. Los Angeles: Alyson Books. ISBN 1-55583-594-5. 

The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Divine at the Internet Movie Database
• Divine at TV.com
• Divine (actor) at Find A Grave
• The Divine Page
• Divine on Yahoo!
• MTV.com Divine