Velma Adkerson

Velma "Miss Wiggles" Adkerson (October 12, 1922- October 14, 2012) was a burlesque dancer known for touring the United States with acts such as Louis Jordan and Chuck Berry. Adkerson was a contortionist who was a popular act in the 1950s and 1960s.

Early life and education Adkerson was born Velma Thomas in Atlanta, Georgia in 1922 to Arthur Thomas, a preacher, and Lillie (Williams) Thomas, one of four children. She sometimes said she was born in Ethiopia. She enjoyed dancing early in life. She also had a bout with polio as a young person, used a wheelchair for two years, and underwent several operations as a result.

Career Adkerson moved to New Orleans to dance professionally when she was nineteen, in the 1940s.

She performed in Texas, including a long run at the Eastwood Club in San Antonio where she performed for over 20 years from 1954 through 1977. She went on the road in 1955 as part of a touring group which included Chuck Berry and Arthur Prysock. She claimed to be at Jack Ruby's club in Dallas when JFK was shot.

She met and married entertainment columnist and bail bondsman Fred Adkerson while performing in Alaska in 1963. The two of them traveled extensively, often taking cruises. While she was mostly retired after 1978, her last performance was on a cruise, at age 80, entertaining other passengers. The couple raised six children, some their own and some adopted.