Earl’s Girls return for Tekoa parade

Earl’s Girls, the can-can troupe which was one of the acts that eventually became part of the Slippery Gulch Shows in Tekoa, made a return engagement at Tekoa Saturday when they appeared as the Grand Marshals in the parade.

Earl’s Girls was formed in 1961 and was originally a troupe which performed their can-can dance in the parish hall and later on the street several times during the big day.

The late Earl Rawlings who operated the Shell Service Station in Tekoa, provided a truck to transport the girls in the Slippery Gulch parade and sort of claimed the troupe as Earl’s Girls.

The troupe learned the can-can from Elzora Carter.

Sherri Rawlings, Earl’s niece, and later Carter sang with the group as Diamond Lil.

Earl’s Girls later became part of the Slippery Gulch Players revue which for years presented a show and performed at the Empire Theatre.

Although the show was staged just one day, practice sessions extended over several weeks.

That presence and maintenance work by Al Peterson and others was part of the reason the Empire remained on the Tekoa scene until the restoration project made it what it is today.

Three of the original Earl’s Girls— Dorothy Lindgren, Carol Fischer and Bev Lindgren—were aboard the honor entry for Saturday’s parade along with other members of the group and the Slippery Gulch Players.

A display of photos of Earl’s Girls and other stars of the troupe in early Slippery Gulch productions was featured on the display boards at the entrance of the Empire during last week’s celebration.