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Kenny Kerr Papers (MS-01051)

Abstract

The Kenny Kerr Papers (approximately 1973-2013) contain audiovisual materials, photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera that document the career of Las Vegas, Nevada female impersonator Kenny Kerr. The majority of the collection includes recordings of Kerr's performances, including his impersonation revue show This is Boy-Lesque. Audiovisual materials in this collection represent Kerr's performances in Las Vegas as well as around the United States, music used for Boy-Lesque, and an audiocassette recording of Kerr's song, "Uncle Sam Wants You." Other materials in this collection include Kerr's professional headshots and Boy-Lesque show ephemera such as performance tickets and show programs. Also included are professional and candid photographs of Kerr's performances and with other performers.The collection also includes a 2012 digital video recording of UnBOYlievable starring female impersonator Jimmy Emerson at the Riverside Resort in Laughlin, Nevada, fourteen songs from Kerr's album "Songs From the Heart," and digital scans of the photographs in the collection.

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1973 to 2013

Extent

2.76 Cubic Feet (4 boxes and 1 oversized box)
3.23 Linear Feet
270 digital_files (0.839 GB) M4V, MP3, JPG

Related People/Corporations

Scope and Contents Note

The Kenny Kerr Papers (approximately 1973-2013) contain audiovisual materials, photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera that document the career of Las Vegas, Nevada female impersonator Kenny Kerr. The majority of the collection includes recordings of Kerr's performances, including his impersonation revue show This is Boy-Lesque. Audiovisual materials in this collection represent Kerr's performances in Las Vegas as well as around the United States, music used for Boy-Lesque, and an audiocassette recording of Kerr's song, "Uncle Sam Wants You." Other materials in this collection include Kerr's professional headshots and Boy-Lesque show ephemera such as performance tickets and show programs. Also included are professional and candid photographs of Kerr's performances and with other performers. The collection also includes a 2012 digital video recording of UnBOYlievable starring female impersonator Jimmy Emerson at the Riverside Resort in Laughlin, Nevada, fourteen songs from Kerr's album "Songs From the Heart," and digital scans of the photographs in the collection.

Access Note

Collection is open for research. Where use copies do not exist, production of use copies is required before access will be granted; this may delay research requests. Advanced notice is required. Arrangements must be made in advance to access digital files; please contact UNLV Special Collections and Archives for additional information.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.

Arrangement

Materials remain as they were received.

General Note

Optical discs are stored in oversized box 04.

Biographical / Historical Note

Las Vegas, Nevada female impersonator Kenny Kerr was born in Blue Anchor, New Jersey and began performing as a teenager on the East Coast. He was known for his Barbra Streisand impersonation and eventually moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1977 where he performed his show, This is Boy-Lesque, at venues such as the Silver Slipper, the Plaza Hotel, the Sahara, the Stardust, and the New Frontier. Kerr performed in Las Vegas and in Palm Springs, California but also traveled around the United States to perform at a variety of bistros, cabarets, cruise ships, and hotels.

Kerr was an outspoken supporter of the gay community in Las Vegas and often donated to community causes and performed in fundraising benefits for Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN), Golden Rainbow, Lighthouse Compassionate Care, and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center. In 1997, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center's Honorarium. Kerr passed away on April 28, 2013 at the age of 60.

Sources:

Friess, Steve, "Remembering Kenny Kerr-Gay Pioneer," Las Vegas Weekly, May 1, 2013. https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/2013/may/01/kenny-kerr/#/0.

McBride, Dennis, "Boylesque," Gay History in Nevada and Las Vegas, OutHistory.com, 2009. https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/las-vegas/articles/boylesque.

PGN Staff, "Obituary: Kenny Kerr, iconic drag performer, 60," Philadelphia Gay News, May 9, 2013. https://epgn.com/2013/05/09/22521558-obituary-kenny-kerr-iconic-drag-performer-60/.

Preferred Citation

Kenny Kerr Papers, approximately 1973-2013. MS-01051. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1hf20

Acquisition Note

Materials were donated by Kris Vidal in 2021; accession number 2021-026. Additional materials were donated in 2022 and 2024 by Dennis McBride; accession numbers 2022-105 and 2024-015.

Processing Note

In 2021, Tammi Kim minimally processed the collection during accessioning. Files were copied off of one optical disc and access files were created. In 2022, Sarah Jones used the donor's provided inventory to create item-level descriptions of photographs. Tammi Kim ingested files off one optical disc and Sarah Jones created access copies. In 2024, Sarah Jones added a single item from a new accession and updated the finding aid.

Resource Type

Papers

Collection Type

EAD ID

US::NVLN::MS01051

Appraisal Note

Tammi Kim performed minimal appraisal on the materials. Duplicate photographic prints were reviewed and discarded.

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English