Judy Tenuta’s Palm Springs Star to be unveiled Monday
A star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars will be unveiled today honoring brash comedian Judy Tenuta, the self-described ``Love Goddess'' and ``Aphrodite Of The Accordion.''
Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon and Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce CEO Nona Watson will serve as masters of ceremony for the 2 p.m. ceremony in front of Benjamin Perdereau French Apparel at 184 N. Palm Canyon Drive.
The star will be the 433rd since the initial five stars were unveiled on Feb. 26, 1992.
Tenuta became nationally known in 1987 for her first HBO special, ``Women of the Night,'' co-starring Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone and Rita Rudner.
She received the American Comedy Award for best female club stand-up comic in 1988. The male winner was Jerry Seinfeld.
Tenuta received a best spoken comedy album Grammy nomination in 1995 for ``Attention Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians.'' The Grammy posthumously went to Sam Kinison for ``Live from Hell.'' Tenuta was nominated again in the category the following year for ``In Goddess We Trust,'' losing to Jonathan Winters for ``Crank(y) Calls.''
She has appeared on ``Late Night with David Letterman,'' ``The View,'' ``Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher'' and ``Larry King Live.'' She also appeared on the music videos featuring song parodist ``Weird Al'' Yankovic, ``Headline News" and ``White & Nerdy."
Tenuta has also been a voice actor on the animated comedies ``Space Ghost'' and ``Duckman.''
Tenuta has long been an advocate for LGBTQ rights and marriage equality. As an ordained minister, she has performed marriage ceremonies for more than 20 years, including many same-sex unions well before same-sex marriage was legal.
Sam Benson Smith
