The original hourglass: The model who changed the standards of beauty and power
With a name like Tempest Storm, you expected fireworks—and that’s exactly what she delivered. Fiery red hair, a gaze that commanded attention, and a career that spanned over six decades transformed a small-town runaway into one of burlesque’s brightest stars.
She began life as Annie Blanche Banks, born on Leap Day, 1928, in Eastman, Georgia—a place marked by poverty and abuse. At fourteen, she ran away and married a Marine simply to escape. The marriage was annulled the next day. At fifteen, she tried again, this time with a shoe salesman, but the restlessness never faded. She wanted more than survival—she wanted Hollywood.
Behind the glamour, she lived with remarkable discipline: no smoking, no alcohol stronger than 7-Up, mornings of granola, and daily sauna and massage sessions. She refused plastic surgery, proudly insisting that what nature gave her was enough. Her fame occasionally caused chaos—at the University of Colorado in 1955, a crowd of 1,500 students nearly stampeded just to catch a glimpse of her.
While many stars faded, Tempest refused to dim. She continued performing well into her sixties and even returned to the stage in her eighties, proving that allure and artistry don’t come with an expiration date. In 1999, San Francisco declared “Tempest Storm Day” when she headlined the O’Farrell Theatre’s 30th anniversary. She remained a beloved figure at Burlesque Hall of Fame events through the 2000s, and a 2016 documentary—Tempest Storm—offered an intimate look at the woman behind the legend.
