It鈥檚 been more than 50 years since Angel Cecilia Walker first strode into a San Fransisco nightclub, introduced herself as 鈥淪atan鈥檚 Angel鈥� and asked for a job as an exotic dancer.

鈥淚 came early and there was nobody there but this old broad鈥︹�� Walker said. 鈥淪he goes, 鈥楽o what do you do?鈥� I said, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檓 a tassel twirler.鈥� She goes, 鈥極h boy, not another tassel twirler鈥� and I go, 鈥楬ey, I twirl five at one time.鈥欌��

Still unimpressed, the woman at the club made a suggestion that would ignite Walker鈥檚 decades-long career as 鈥渢he Devil鈥檚 own Mistress鈥�: 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you set those puppies on fire?鈥�

From there Walker and her seamstress got to work on a set of patented flaming tassels. That was in the early 1960s. At age 74, Walker still uses those same tassels, but on Nov. 2 they will be extinguished for good after she performs her last show as Satan鈥檚 Angel at the Queen鈥檚 in Nanaimo. The evening will also include routines by members of Vancouver鈥檚 Lost Girls Burlesque and Nanaimo鈥檚 Sweet Tooth Burlesque Revue.

Although Walker鈥檚 come out of retirement more than once, she insists that this time it鈥檚 for real.

鈥淚 have bone diseases, so my joints sometimes bother me a lot and so I鈥檝e just gotten to the point where this will be my last,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just can鈥檛 do it any more. It鈥檚 too much for me. I鈥檝e been going it for five and a half decades. I鈥檓 done as a piece of toast.鈥�

Walker said she鈥檒l miss performing her burlesque routines, although she plans to continue making appearances in films and music videos. She said she鈥檚 unsure what the future holds for an ex-stripper.

鈥淚 love all the attention you get and it makes your ego feel good and makes you feel like you really produce and gave them something and you really entertained them. I鈥檓 going to miss a lot of that, oh yeah,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 mean, I don鈥檛 even know how I鈥檓 even going to get a part-time job. I mean, what do you put down on your resume? Fifty-two years as a stripper?鈥�

arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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