Class Overview

Family and friends of Coby Yee come together to share stories about Coby Yee -BurlyCon 2020's Legend of Honor. These stories should not be missed!  

Cynthia Yee, Founder of the Grant Avenue Follies, will share the story of how she coaxed Coby Yee out of retirement.  

Shari Matsurra, Coby’s daughter, explains childhood on the road with a traveling showgirl. 

Mimi Chin, Tai Chi practitioner, shares how she became Coby's right-hand person when she made her way back to the stage.

Pat Nishimoto, a close friend to Coby, will share stories of Coby’s gorgeous costumes. Clara Hsu, Director of Clarion Performing Arts Center, will recite the poem she wrote for Coby.

Luka Yang, Creator of the documentary of Coby & Steve in love, will talk about the work done and what they learned as they created the documentary.

Thank you to Pat Chin, Ruby Fong, Clara Hsu and Louise Ow Ling for assisting with this heartfelt presentation.

About Coby Yee

Coby Yee


China's Most Daring Dancing Doll! Coby Yee mesmerized audiences with her exotic dances from the 1940s into the 1960s. She got her start in San Francisco's Chinatown nightclubs, then traveled the world. In 1962, her and her family took over Forbidden City and ran it until 1970. Coby Yee died of natural causes on August 14 in her San Pablo home. She was 93. Known for her glamorous handmade outfits and zest for life, Yee was regarded as a legend in both the local and national burlesque scenes, and continued to perform right up until her passing. BurlyCon named Coby Yee our Legend of Honor for 2020 and uust weeks before her death, she was honored with the 2020 Living Legend Award by the Burlesque Hall of Fame (BHoF).