OT but interesting (to me)

[snookelputz]

Does anyone know who was the first sequined music performer, when, etc. Can't be Elvis, I remember seeing some of the big C/W stars of the middle 50s already wearing super fancy duds. Of course, orchestral musicians had "dressed" for a long, long time. There were some pretty flashy threads in the '20s, too.

 

I don't even know how to start a search for that. sequins, cowboy, country, rock, flashy clothes

[TWANG]

history of the sequin I'd guess.

these have to go back to at least strippers, and that's a secondary to the oldest profession, which may lay, hiccup, the first claim.

just google pasties and forget about it. *G*

[jfalkens]

When I was a little kid, I seem to remember Porter Wagoner had rhinestones or sequins on his coats...

 

 

Porter is the one next to Dolly Parton (in the blue suit). I think that is Mel Tillis on the other side of Dolly.

 

This pic is from 1970, but I remember him having suits like that in the mid-60's.

 

 

edit...

Found a 1967 Pic of Porter and Dolly

[Johno]

Thre three Hanks of country music, Hank Williams, Hank Snow and Hank Thompson certainly popularized the sequined and rhinestone look in the late 40's to country fans as did Liberace around the same time to pop/classical music fans but sequined music performers were probably around long before that.

 

The costumes would have originated in the circus. Mexican Mariachi musicians were going sequined in the 1930's and burlesque showgirls were certainly using the sequin onstage before then but the look likely first went from the circus to the vaudville and caberet circuit around the turn of the 20th century.

[Billybob Dylan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudie_suit

 

Nudie was making "Nudie Suits" in the late '40s.

[Ron G]

Liberace is the performer that comes to mind when it comes to sequins and flash.

[snookelputz]

When I was a little kid' date=' I seem to remember Porter Wagoner had rhinestones or sequins on his coats...

[/quote']

 

That was one of the shows I remembered! And, my oh my, the way the tune changed when Dolly left the band, from "after all he did for her" to "I never could understand what she saw in him"

 

and, while I know medieval performers tried to dress better than "commoners", and the aristocracy tore it up!, but it was the vaudeville-rock/country I was hoping to nail down a little closer.