![]() In 1988, Divine worked with John Waters on the film Hairspray 3 and again played two roles - TV station owner Arvin Hodgepile and Edna Turnblad, the mother of the main character Tracy Turnblad. In the same year, Divine appeared in Western film parody Lust in the Dust, directed by Paul Bartel. Milstead played the role of a gay man in the 1985 film Trouble in Mind, which was written and directed by Alan Rudolph. Her album The Story So Far was released in 1984, and Maid in England appeared in 1988. It reached number 16 in the UK music charts in 1984 and Divine performed the song on Top of the Pops 2. 'You Think You're a Man' was their first Top 40 hit. She then worked with Stock, Aitken and Waterman on two singles. Divine went on tour around the USA and Europe. They recorded an album ( Jungle Jezebel) and released three singles, with modest success. ![]() In 1982 she met Bobby Orlando, a composer and music producer who went on to work with the Pet Shop Boys among many other bands. Divine also sang the theme song for the film, foreshadowing her later work as a disco singer.ĭivine also performed on stage in the 1970s, in plays, drag shows and gay clubs, in roles including comedy and singing. In Female Trouble (1974), Divine played two roles - Dawn Davenport and Earl Peterson, marking the first time that Milstead would appear on film as a man. The film gained a cult following and was released on video in several countries outside the USA, bringing John Waters' films to the attention of a wider audience. It was 'an exercise in poor taste' about 'the filthiest person alive' - Divine played Babs Johnson, who wins the 'filthiest person' title by murdering her rivals and eating dog poo. ![]() Divine and John Waters achieved notoriety with the film Pink Flamingos (1972). She played Lady Divine in Multiple Maniacs (1970). Divine also appeared in his third short film Eat Your Makeup (1968) and his first feature film Mondo Trasho (1969). John Waters had made a short film Hag in a Black Leather Jacket in 1964, and invited Divine to play the role of a nun in his second short film Roman Candles (1966). In 1981 he received a message from his mother at one of Divine's stage shows and they were reconciled. However, his performances as Divine enabled him to avoid bankruptcy. He soon got into debt without his parents' financial assistance. He sent postcards to reassure them that he was OK, but they were unable to contact him. He stopped speaking to his parents in 1972 after they confiscated his car to try to stop him spending money that he didn't have. In 1970 his parents provided the funds for him to open a vintage clothing shop that he named 'Divine Trash' but it failed to make a profit. He moved out of his parents' house later that year. ![]() In 1968 his parents bought a beauty shop for him to work in. Waters nicknamed Milstead 'Divine' after Divine the drag queen in the 1943 novel Notre Dame des Fleurs (Our Lady of the Flowers) by Jean Genet.Īfter qualifying as a hairdresser, Milstead worked in salons at first, but became unemployed. He met John Waters in around 1965 and they became friends as they were similar ages and had both lived in Lutherville, Maryland for a time. He liked to hold parties (paid for by his parents) for his friends, where he would often dress up as the film star Elizabeth Taylor. An only child 1, his parents usually gave him whatever he wanted, including rich food, expensive clothes, and a car. Glenn Milstead, as he was known, was born on 19 October, 1945, to Harris and Frances Milstead in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Divine died in 1988 at the age of 42 and was immortalised in animated form as Ursula the sea-witch in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989). The drag queen alter ego of Harris Glenn Milstead, Divine achieved iconic status through roles in films directed by John Waters and also went on to have some success as a singer. ![]()
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