Gypsy : A Memoir

The dazzling, no-holds-barred memoir that inspired a Broadway legend—Gypsy is a true American original, told by the woman who lived it with wit, grit, and a rhinestoned wink.

Before there was Mama Rose or Let Me Entertain You, there was Gypsy Rose Lee—a whip-smart, fearless, and gloriously complicated woman whose life on the road with her unstoppable stage mother and spotlight-stealing little sister became the stuff of showbiz legend.

Now back in the spotlight thanks to the acclaimed Broadway revival starring Audra McDonald, Gypsy is Lee’s funny, subversive, and poignant memoir of growing up in the ragtag world of 1920s vaudeville and emerging, against the odds, as a singular star of 1930s burlesque.

Told in her unmistakable voice—wry, stylish, and heartbreakingly observant—Gypsy reveals a vanished world of stage mothers, train-jumping troupes, and smoke-filled nightclubs, where gin was homemade and ambition was everything. Alongside rare photos and memorabilia from her own scrapbooks and an afterword by her son Erik Lee Preminger, this unforgettable memoir captures the real woman behind the myth: sharp, resilient, and always in command of her story.

Gypsy Rose Lee (1911–1970) was an infamous vaudeville entertainer best known for her burlesque performances. Her memoir was adapted into the renowned musical Gypsy. She also appeared in several films and television programs including The Trouble with Angels and The Over-the-Hill Gang. In addition to her memoir, Lee wrote the novels The G-String Murders and Mother Finds a Body, as well as the play The Naked Genius.

Erik Preminger is the son of burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee and film director Otto Preminger. An actor, writer, and producer, Preminger’s published works include Gypsy & Me: At Home and on the Road with Gypsy Rose Lee and My G-String Mother: At Home and Backstage with Gypsy Rose Lee.