Wayland Flowers....and Madame?

 

"This was an underground act that took root and shot up out of nowhere."

If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, you probably remember Wayland Flowers and Madame for their regular appearances on Hollywood Squares.  While many would agree that Madame was the brains of the act, most of the credit goes to Wayland himself.

He was born in Dawson, Georgia on November 26, 1939.  A few years later, his father was killed in World War 2, and Flowers was raised in a devoutly religious all-female household.  After college, he enlisted in the Coast Guard, before eventually settling in New York City, having become enamored with the Broadway stage. 

In 1964, Flowers landed a job as a puppeteer for the New York World's Fair.  There is some historical debate as to whether this was his first involvement with the world of puppets, but it would ultimately provide the inspiration for the character of Madame. 

Recognizing Flowers' affection for a Wicked Witch of the West puppet, his boss gave it to him, which he soon transformed into the first version of the Madame puppet.  Her feisty personality would come later, after Flowers overheard an elderly Ziegfeld Follies girl become irate with an abusive bartender.  Believe it or Not!

The duo would spend the next twenty years appearing in sold-out live performances and on a host of television shows.  From 1981 to 1984, they were regular co-hosts on the syndicated musical countdown series Solid Gold, often providing some much-needed comic relief.  Check out these clips with generous co-host Marilyn McCoo.  The team would even have their own short-lived series called Madame's Place, which aired for one season in 1982.  Co-stars included Judy Landers and a then-unknown Corey Feldman.

In September 1987, Flowers was diagnosed with HIV.  A little over one year later, he collapsed on stage wile performing at Lake Tahoe.  After a brief hospitalization, he visited with friends and family in Georgia, before retiring to a Los Angeles area hospice to live out his final days.  He ultimately passed away on October 11, 1988.  He was just 48 years old. 

Wayland Flowers was cremated and his ashes were returned to Dawson, Georgia.  He was laid to rest in the family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• In 1983, the duo released a scandalous, tell-all autobiography to generally positive reviews.  You can pick up a copy of Madame: My Misbegotten Memoirs, from Amazon.
  
  
• Following his death, the Star tabloid incorrectly reported that Madame was buried with Flowers, an urban legend that persists to this day.  In fact, the Madame puppets (there were multiple) were bequeathed to friends and family members.
  
  
• Flowers left part of his estate to the Hughes House, the L.A. hospice where he'd spent his final days.  It was later renamed the Wayland Flowers House, but it ultimately closed just a few months after his passing.
  
  
• It might shock fans of Hollywood Squares to know that Wayland Flowers and Madame was a stage show for adults only.  Flowers insisted that no one under 18 be admitted to a live performance.
  
  
• As Madame, Flowers would often state that Jim Henson and his team had been inspired by the duo in the creation and performance of Muppets star Miss Piggy.  This blogger definitely sees the resemblance.