Timeline for Doris Fish and the Sluts A Go-G

The Tubes Doris visited San Francisco for the first time in March 1975, and returned for an extended stay in the summer of 1976. That year she entered a talent competition to join the proto-punk rock band The Tubes which was looking for oddball acts to compliment their bizarre shows. Doris auditioned in trashy glamour…

Halloween Harlots Revue Doris Fish’s first performance in San Francisco was a revue organized by Ambi Sextrous at the SIR Center in San Francisco, Halloween 1976. Doris designed the poster for the show, but not much else is remembered about it or their co-star Mary Anne Drogynous.

Excerpt from: NOT TRYING TO PASS AS ANYTHING BUT OUTRAGED: Cross-Dressing and Drag in Protests, Demonstrations, and Social Activism By Ardel Haefele-Thomas, Ph.D. & Ms. Bob Davis, MFA By 1977 about 40 local governments in the U.S. had passed ordinances protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination in such things as housing and employment. But,…

When Doris met Sylvester…! 1977. As far as we know, the only documented meeting of the two San Francisco drag legends, these photos were taken by James Moss during an interview with the disco star for “San Francisco Gay Life: Where It’s At”. This would have been around the time of his first self-titled disco…

This feature was in the James Moss magazine “San Francisco Gay Life–Where It’s At” number 3 in 1977. Jane Dornaker, Pearly Gates, Eddie Troia, and Doris Fish met up while performing with the Tubes at Bimbo’s in 1976. Dornaker and Gates formed the rock band Leila and the Snakes. This all led to great things,…

Doris Fish by Doris Fish Kalendar Magazine, 1977 My first memory of myself as a performer is my father’s office Xmas party. I recited “Nellie Bly.” I was 4 years old. My childhood was quite uneventful but very pleasant. I have two brothers and two sisters-all delightful, pretty people. The are all in Australia living…

One of the people impressed with Doris’ act with the Tubes was James Moss, a former child star in Hollywood who was trying to make a name for himself in San Francisco as a filmmaker and promoter. His scheme was to produce a film called Magazine Movie and recognized Doris as potential STAR, much as Martin Ryter and then Phillip R…

The Birth of the Women’s Art Collective, The Sluts A Go-Go After Tippi introduced him to Doris at Ambisextrous’ “Come As Your Favorite Fellini Character” birthday party in 1979, Brad Chandler was recruited to help write the script for a new show, “The Sluts A Go-Go”. His knowledge and affection for old Hollywood movie dialogue…

X and Doris at a street fair circa 1979-1980

Sluts Slumber Party Held at Previews performance space at Polk and Geary September 21, 1980, during the hiatus between Sluts A Go-Go: A Play with Music and the premiere of Blonde Sin. We are short on details, this was likely a revue of their most popular numbers, possibly with new comedy and certainly some improvisation.

“In August they went to Nevada to cover the National Reno Gay Rodeo. Doris paraded around in outlandish outfits, but he found the rodeo events less engaging than the action under the bleachers.” Excerpt From Who Does That Bitch Think She Is? Craig Seligman As part of shooting segments for Martin Ryter’s Click TV, Doris…

Blonde Sin was the final iteration of the show which began at the 1979 Sluts A Go-Go debut show, evolved during the early 1980 South Pacific Nightclub Tour. Upon their return from Australia, Doris and the Sluts teamed up with producer Eddie Troia to refine the rough revue into a more cohesive show originally entitled…

Sluts A Go-Go-A Play with Music After returning from Australia on South Pacific Nightclub Tour the Sluts began working with Eddie Troia, a promoter and manager had seen their debut show at the Gay Community Center and afterwards approached Doris about improving the production. The script was expanded, the characters more defined, live music and new…

The 4 months in Sydney that bonded Doris, Tippi, and Miss X. Doris travelled between San Francisco and her native Australia nearly every year. After the October 28, 1979 debut performance of the Sluts A Go-Go she was inspired to bring her new troupe with her when she returned to Australia that Christmas. She paid…

Doris Fish’s Wedding Doris, as Philip Mills, married a lesbian friend on April 9, 1980 at San Francisco City Hall. The wedding had the intended effect, an immigration Green Card that allowed Philip to stay in the United States. Ten days later, a wedding reception was held at Greg Foss’s 422 Oak Street apartment in…

Haight Street Fair 1980 The third annual Haight Street Fair was held on Sunday May 18, 1980. The Sluts had just returned from their Australian tour. They did not perform, but they made a memorable appearance in full Hippie Drag. Danny Nicoletta photographed them, and the photo of Doris and Tippi in front of a…

These photos of Tippi and Doris Fish were taken at a party between 1980-82. Doris is in hippie drag and Tippi is looking very sixties in a delightfully colorful dress. Doris’ 1982 self-portrait in hippie drag was clearly referencing these photos.   See also: Haight Street Fair 1980

1981 was a busy year for Doris Fish and the Sluts A Go-Go. She was working with Martin Ryter on Click TV, she attended the Gay Rodeo in Reno, and West Graphics greeting cards had come calling. The Sluts performed as dancers with both Timmy Spence, and Calling All Girls, the band Miss X had…

Freda Lay show flyer drawn and painted by Doris Fish. 1981. From the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive.

Torn Tulle (Theater Rhinoceros) October 1982 Doris Fish had a small role as a drag queen in Chuck Solomon’s production of Charles Henrich’s Torn Tulle at the renowned queer Theater Rhinoceros in 1982. She starred alongside Alexis Miranda, R. Scott Lyons and J. Carlton Powers as “four drag queen hookers trapped in the backstage dressing…

Doris Fish at the Mr. Drummer Competition. I-Beam, San Francisco, 1982 The incredible picture on the left was published in In Touch magazine in October 1982, photographer as yet unknown. It was submitted by a follower on our Instagram and shows Doris having maniacal, riotous fun with hunky leather men in the San Francisco nightclub…

We don’t have much info to go on with this photo. It’s from before Phil’s time with Doris. We know it was used in Jennifer Blowdryer’s June 1982 zine, Ego as the Transvestite of the Month. “If you’re a wimpy, nothing sort of person you can wear a little bank clerk blue eyeshadow and some…

Miss X and Doris, Castro Street Fair, 1983 Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION

As promised, we are beginning to add photographs from Greg Foss’ personal collection to DorisFish.com. A total of TWO HUNDRED have been scanned…! Absolutely thrilling!! Greg began as a fan and friend of Doris, and then as a roommate at 422 Oak Street. He began to do drag with the Sluts A Go-Go as Ginger…

Miss Solar System Pageant show flyer, October 1984. From the collection of Phillip R Ford.

Miss X and Doris Fish on the set of Vegas in Space as Queen Veneer and Miss Tracy Daniels. Photo by Daniel Nicoletta All Rights Reserved

Arturo Galster on the set of Vegas in Space, 1984 Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION

Tippi on the set of Vegas in Space, as director Phillip R Ford makes adjustments to the set. 1984 Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION

Miss X as Queen Veneer on location for Vegas in Space, 1984 Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION Miss X as Queen Veneer on location for Vegas in Space, 1984 Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION

Miss X on set as Queen Veneer Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION Miss X on set as Queen Veneer Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION Miss X on set as Queen Veneer Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION Miss X on set…

Caption forthcoming. From the collection of Phillip R Ford.

Phillip R Ford, Doris Fish, Miss X, Arturo Galster as Patsy Kline. Happy Hour show, 1985. From the collection of Phillip R Ford.

Phillip R Ford and Doris Fish at the Happy Hour X-Mas Show. From the collection of Phillip R Ford.

Happy Hour X-Mas Special flyer. December 1985 From the collection of Phillip R Ford. Gwyn Waters was a photographer documenting the San Francisco Punk scene in the early 1980s and became close with all the Sluts A Go-Go through her sister Jennifer Blowdryer. In 2024 she had a photo show at Fabulosa Books in the…

Doris Fish and Phillip R Ford, Happy Hour Show, 1985. From the collection of Phillip R Ford.

Nightlub of the Living Dead, November 1986, Club 181, San FranciscoDoris Fish, Miss X, Sandal Herbert, Tippi

Doris Fish and Philip R Ford

Tommy Pace as Imelda Marcos and Doris as Marie Antoinette in Dragon Ladies and Their Fashions, 1986. Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHOUT PERMISSION

Photo by Matt Barton. I love the intimacy of this photograph. ❤️A snapshot in the back seat of Phil Ford’s car on the way to a show or a party. The black hair frames Doris’s features beautifully and she’s so lit up. From Miss X’s archive.

Doris Fish and Buzz Reinard at Klubstitute, October 28, 1989

Commissioned by Bob Davis, Doris painted this in 1990. From the left, Doris Fish, Ms. Bobbie Davis, Miss X, Tippi.