7.  Edith Massey, Big Girls Don’t Cry

Edith Massey—a.k.a. “The Egg Lady”—shot to fame as one of director John Waters’ muses, perhaps most memorably as an obese, egg-obsessed, toothless woman with who lives in a baby crib in a trailer in Pink Flamingos.  In 1982 she released a cover of the Four Seasons’ Big Girls Don’t Cry (backed with Punks Get Off the Grass) on an indie label called Egg Records (natch!).  Edie had difficulty speaking, much less singing, so the fact that she basically gets through the Bob Gaudio chestnut is something of an accomplishment.

I think the reason Edith is still beloved today isn’t only because of the Grand Guignol element of her work, though there is that, but because she brought a guileless authenticity to everything she did.  There was a childlike quality to Massey’s presence, primarily in her zesty willingness to do whatever was asked of her no matter how outlandish, that is actually quite touching.   So enjoy the great Edith Massey in all her Baltimorian glory, okay hon?

You may also like:

John Waters 10 Favorite Overlooked Movies

Stargazying Mix Tape: The Most Unbelievable Cover Songs of All-Time, #1-5