The Love Goddess

Background:

American comedienne and actress Judy Tenuta is known for becoming the very first stand-up to win an American Comedy Award. Her act is principally constructed around an magnified, kinky persona that is famously known as “The Love Goddess.” Other nicknames attributed to this gum-spitting, male-bashing, and undeniably superb comedienne are “multi-media Bondage Goddess,” “Aphrodite of the Accordion,” “Fashion Saint,” “Petite flower,” “Princess of Panty Shields,” “Empress of Elvis Impersonators” and many others. During her routine, Tenuta can be found attracting the audiences with her accordion and singing goofy songs while encouraging fans to convert to her own personal religion, “Judyism.” She has written the book “The Power of Judyism” (Harper-Collins). A two-time Grammy-nominated artist, Tenuta was handed the nominations for her albums “Attention Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians” (1994) and “In Goddess We Trust” (1995). As an actress, Tenuta has acted in a number of films since making her debut in 1974, including “Butch Camp” (1996), “Desperation Boulevard” (1998), “10 Attitudes and a Date” (2001), “Material Girls”(2006) and “Hanging in Hedo” (2007). She also did some voice overs and appeared in TV game shows.

Outside the spotlight, Tenuta is a supporter for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered rights, and often participates at gay trait rallies and events. She was once married to comedian Emo Philips.

Mr. Phillips'-Ex

Childhood and Family:

Judy Tenuta was born on November 7, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois, but was raised in Oakdale, Illinois. She married fellow Chicago comedian Emo Philips on August 8, 1988, but they later divorce. Philips, who was born on February 7, 1956, is also an entertainer with a quirky comic persona.

In Goddess We Trust

Career:

Chicago native Judy Tenuta began her career in comedy clubs across the country in the early 1980s. She released her debut album in 1987 called “Buy This, Pigs!” and later that same year appeared at the Comic Relief II fundraising special. Hit the stage in long flowing “goddess gowns,” she made her early TV appearance in “Woman of the Night” special hosted by Martin Short in 1988, where she performed along side comediennes Ellen Degeneres and Paula Poundstone. Also in 1988, she gained notice for becoming the very first stand-up to receive an American Comedy for Best Female Comedian. The next year saw Tenuta make her second film appearance in “White Hot,”directed by and starring Robby Benson. She previously appeared as an office girl in the comedy film “Deep Throat Part II (1974).

Tenuta went on to build good reputation on the stage, and as her popularity increased, she was featured on a number of TV talk shows, including “The Howard Stern Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Joan Rivers Show” and “The Donnie and Marie Show.” She also headlined her own one-hour comedy specials on Showtime, Lifetime Television and HBO during the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, her sour stage image seemed a little to much for network TV. After having a supporting role as Sgt. Farfalloni on the comedy film “Love Bites” (1993), Tenuta launched “Attention Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians” in 1994. Recorded live at the C.S. W Gay Pride Festival, the album won the performer a nomination at the Grammy Awards as well as cemented her icon status in the gay community. She received another Grammy nomination for her work in the 1995 album “In Goddess We Trust.”

Tenuta maintained the nightclubs work throughout the late 1990s, in addition to branching out to many other projects. She provided her voice for such animated programs as “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist” (1996, as herself) ad “Duckman” Private Dick/Family Man” (1994-1996, as Edna), portrayed Madame Judy the Psychic on five out of 13 episodes in “The Weird Al Show” (1997), as well as made three film performances. She starred as Samantha Rottweiler, a dominatrix in the Alessandro De Gaetano-directed “Butch Camp” (1996), had a featured role in Bob Koherr's Plum Fiction” (1997) and starred in and produced her won film,“Desperation Boulevard” (1998), a hilarious but touching film featuring performances by Oscar darling Michael Lerner, Erin Moran, Will Shriner, Weird Al Yankovic and Emo Phillips. Besides, she participated as a celebrity contestant on the game-show “Match Game” (1998), hosted by Michael Burger. Among other celebrity competitors included George Hamilton, Nell Carter, James Avery and the winner Mike Kimmel. “The Power of Judyism,” an audio CD version of her book of the same name, was released on January 29, 1999.

In 2001, Tenuta took on the role as a self-involved group therapist in the independent movie “10 Attitudes and a Date,” which starred and co-written by Jason Stuart, and from 2003 to 2004 she appeared on the game show “Hollywood Squares.” She served as celebrity co-host for the talk-show “Queer Edge with Jack E. Jett & Sandra Bernhard” in 2005 and portrayed Jayleen the Motel Lady on the romance film “Flirting with Anthony,” that same year. She went on to play Margo Thorness, the cultured trailer trash cat lady on the Hilary Duff vehicle “Material Girls”(2006) and more recently, starred as Mrs. Weinberg on the comedy film “Hanging in Hedo” (2007). On January 27, 2007, she guested as Mrs. Weinberg on an episode of the comedy/family series “Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.”

Awards:

• American Comedy: Comedy Club Stand-Up Comic – Female, 1988