."Well, hello there, good lookin’!"
My name is Madam Sunshine, an endearing name given me by a wonderful man who appreciates the joy I bring to his life.
In the early 1990’s, I began to learn to give tours of our local museum, Miss Hattie’s Bordello, through an organization, the Concho Cadre which is a volunteer arm of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, an organization of which I am still a member and participant.
As times progressed and changed, I became the sole tour guide of the bordello for the Chamber, guiding hundreds of tourists through the shady, intriguing halls of yesteryear. I have entertained conventioneers, bus tours, business conferences, red hatters, senior citizen groups, local travelers as well as those from other countries. The list of folks that are enthralled with the Old West is lengthy and spreads worldwide.
Many say that when the feathers go on, I take on the persona of Hattie and let her take charge. What grand (and fun) experiences I have had through the years!
Thinking that Miss Hattie needed to retain her own identify,
I began using Madam Sunshine to distinguish our characters. The museum is haunted, and I’ve made good friends with the “others” who are always with us during my tours. I always announce “It’s me!” as I begin the climb up the steep stairs into the parlor above.
In 1997, Cactus Jack and I were married in that very parlor….in full regalia! It was the first recorded wedding in the bordello, although others may have taken place. Chamber employees were unable to find any other after their research. I arrived by horse drawn carriage and left for the reception that way with my cowboy husband. We continued the celebration at Miss Hattie’s restaurant, then called The SWIG.
A few years later, as a natural progression, Cactus Jack and I became members of The Concho Cowboy Co. I have been an RGA member and participate in local events, as well as many out of town. I play a wide range of characters from saloon madam to properly attired lady in calico and lace. If there’s an opportunity to represent our wonderful city and the Old West with lots of fun, then count me in!
“Why don’t you come up to Miss Hattie’s
and see me sometime?”
Madam Sunshine
SEE SUNSHINE IN ACTION !!
"The Pinkertons & the Carbon Arc Contrivance"
