T. C. Jones
| T. C. Jones | |
|---|---|
T. C. Jones, 1965
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| Born |
Thomas Craig Jones 26 October 1920 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | 21 September 1971 (aged 50) Duarte, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Female impersonator, actor |
| Spouse(s) | Connie Dickson Jones |
Thomas Craig "T. C." Jones (October 26, 1920 – September 21, 1971) was an American female impersonator. He was known for his impersonations of stars such as Tallulah Bankhead, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn and others. He has been described as "probably the best female impersonator since vaudeville's late famed Julian Eltinge".
Jones danced in two Broadway shows in the mid-1940s before beginning his career as an impersonator in 1946 in a stint with the Provincetown Players. "One night...another of the players brought me some...material that was hilarious. The only catch was that it more or less required a woman to deliver it. He suggested I do an impersonation." He moved to the Jewel Box Revue in Miami, performing impersonations of Bankhead, Hepburn, Edith Piaf, Claudette Colbert and Bette Davis.
Jones's portrayal of Bankhead brought him to the attention of theatrical producer Leonard Sillman. Sillman cast him in the revue New Faces of 1956, directed by Paul Lynde.
Sillman was strongly advised not to cast Jones but stated, "I never think of T.C. as a female impersonator, as a man imitating a woman. T.C. on stage is simply an extraordinarily talented woman." Jones entered the stage by descending a staircase to the tune "Isn't She Lovely" and, as Bankhead, acted as mistress of ceremonies. The show ran 220 performances. The following year Jones starred in Mask and Gown, another Broadway revue. Jones toured with Mask and Gown but it was unsuccessful.
Jones appeared in regional theatrical productions, including The Man Who Came to Dinner in 1959. He also played the nightclub circuit and recorded two albums, the original cast recording of Mask and Gown (1958) and T. C. Jones Himself! (1959). Jones appears on the original cast recording for New Faces of 1956 (1956) and released the single, "Champagne Cocktails" b/w "Sunless Sunday" (1957).
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