Legendary San Francisco Stripper Carol Doda Dies

Many San Franciscans are mourning the loss of legendary San Francisco performer Carol Doda, who helped introduce topless entertainment more than 50 years ago. She died at age 78 of complications related to kidney failure.

Doda first went topless in 1964 at the Condor Club. Soon every nightspot on Broadway in North Beach followed suit.

"Isn't it intriguing to live in a city in which one of the most prominent citizens is a topless dancer?" said Ernest Baile, an author who wrote about Doda in Sketches from a North Beach Journal.

"Let me put it this way: women have been baring their breasts in San Francisco since the Gold Rush ... what Carol brought to the table was kind of a classy night-club act that she brought to the Condor," Baile said. "She did it with dignity."

Baile added, "San Francisco has a long history of wanting to be naughty and nice at the same time, and when I think of Carol Doda, I think of somebody who was naughty but nice."

From Michael Stabile, who co-directed a film documenting the history of San Francisco’s sex industry:

“The first topless dance took place in 1964 at the Condor when Carol Doda took to the stage in designer Rudi Gernreich's revolutionary ‘monokini.’ The bathing suit never really caught on, but topless dancing became an export that would become synonymous with San Francisco.”

Doda rode onto stage atop a piano on an elevator platform, debuting the same day President Lyndon B. Johnson drew half a million people in a visit to San Francisco. It wasn't long before the big news in town was "The Girl on the Piano."

An illuminated sign on the club in Doda's likeness later became a landmark.

The Condor Club even marked the 50th anniversary of Doda's first topless dancing performance with a 2014 celebration, complete with an appearance by drag queen D’Arcy Drollinger dressed up as the iconic performer.

Doda left the Condor in 1985 and later opened a lingerie store, Champagne and Lace. Patrons marveled at her good taste and warm personality. After stopping by in 2008, Yelp reviewer Susie W. wrote:

"The store is small, not chic chic, and you'll be personally helped by Carol. How often can you say you bought a bra from a San Francisco icon?"

Throughout the city, fans mourned the death of the beloved San Francisco icon.

This post contains reporting by the Associated Press.

Cy Musiker contributed to this report.
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