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Billy Tipton, 1914-1989

American Transman jazz musician & band leader
Astrology chart, profile, books, films, links

Libra Ascendant, Capricorn Sun, Gemini Moon, Neptune Midheaven
His astro-chart

ASTRODATA Born: Dorothy Lucille Tipton, 29 December 1914, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA (97W30 35N28). (Lois Rodden quotes News clippings in hand from Spokane, WA newspaper, via Joan McEvers; RR: B). DIED: 21 January 1989, Spokane, Washington, USA.
FEATURES: PERSONALIZED PLANETS: Capricorn MERCURY (conjunct Mercury, quincunx Moon), Capricorn MARS (conjunct Mercury, quincunx Moon), Aquarius JUPITER (conjunct South Node, trine Moon), Cancer PLUTO (opposite Sun, semi-sextile Moon), Cancer NEPTUNE (sextile Moon, conjunct Zenith), PATTERNS: BOOMERANG (Moon sextile Neptune both quincunx Mercury opposite Saturn/Pluto), T-SQUARE (Moon opposite Venus both square Jupiter) MUTUAL RECEPTION: SATURN in GEMINI opposite MERCURY in CAPRICORN. UNASPECTED: CHIRON. SHAPE: HORSESHOE. CHINESE SIGN: WOOD TIGER. NUMEROLOGY: "11" LIFEPATH.

Wikipedia Bio [With Astrology comments by Sy Scholfield]:

Billy Lee Tipton (born as Dorothy Lucille Tipton, December 29, 1914 - January 21, 1989) was an American jazz musician (pianist and saxophonist) and band leader. Tipton became the subject of public interest posthumously when it was revealed that he had lived for decades as a man, but was was biologically female. He had lived as a transman for over 50 years. Until his dying moments, the fact that Tipton had been born female was known only to two female cousins and—possibly—some of his paramours as well. [Libra Ascendant (who am/are I/we?) ruled by Venus in the ultra-secretive last degree of Scorpio trine deceptive Neptune in the last degree of publicity-shy Cancer].

Dorothy Tipton was born in Oklahoma City but grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where she was raised by an aunt after her parents' divorce.

In 1933, Tipton began dressing as a man, which allowed him to blend with the other members of the jazz bands with whom he played in small Oklahoma bars. Career opportunities for women in jazz were limited. As he began a more serious music career, he adopted his father's nickname, Billy, and more actively concealed his female body by breast-binding and packing. At first, he only presented as male in performance, but by 1940 he was living as a man in his private life as well. [Moon - one's femininity - hidden away in the very private 8th House]

For seven years, Tipton lived with Betty Cox, who was nineteen years old when they became involved. According to Betty, they had a heterosexual relationship. Betty remembered him as "the most fantastic love of my life." Tipton kept the secret of his biological gender from Betty by inventing a story that he had been in a serious car accident which had badly damaged his genitals and broken some ribs, and that to protect the damaged chest he had to bind it. From then on, this was what he would tell the women in his life. [Neptune in the last degree of Cancer can mean hiding one's female parts].

[read more of Tipton's Wikipedia biography here]


more Queer stars

Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton
An exerpt from Diane Middlebrook's biography including an on-line time-line and pictures



© 2003, 2011
Sy Scholfield