The Big Easy

God-daughter to 'King of the Swingers' Louis Prima, Corliss's lifetime passion for music began in New Orleans. Her father, Jimmy King, owned The Famous Door Jazz Club as well as more than a dozen other venues on Bourbon Street. Immersed in the city's intoxicating jazz scene, she grew up in the presence of the likes of Louis Armstrong, Dr John, the Neville Brothers, Al Hirt, Fats Domino and The Dukes of Dixieland, making her stage debut alongside Louis Prima at the age of three.

Corliss embodies the main indigenous musical forms and magic, in addition to jazz, the soulful blues and spiritual choral strains enshrined in the culture of the Southern state. By the time she was twelve, her family had moved to San Francisco. She began her formal music training with members of the San Francisco Opera and secured a place at Berkeley University Exchange to study opera.

La Dolce Vita

At fourteen she moved to Italy to embark on scholarships under the great Tito Gobbi and then Luigi Malatesta at the renowned Conservatory Santa Cecilia Roma. It was here she acquired the wide-ranging mezzo soprano voice that allows her to incorporate the singing styles of Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Mae West and the standards of Gershwin and Jerome Kern. Until her mid-twenties she pursued a classical career in opera and with the Roman Catholic Church, performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States.

Wild, Wild World

While in Italy, Corliss met her twin flame, larger than life cult film producer Dick Randall. They married and Corliss focused on her work in the film industry, alongside Dick, on the production of his movies worldwide. They toured mainly in Europe, America and Asia during the 1980's, Corliss choreographing and directing the fight scenes that nobody else would.

Starting his showbusiness career as a writer, Dick penned gags for Milton Berle and learnt his trade as a distributor. A prolific artist, he went on to write, produce and provide translations for his own portfolio of feature films. Earning his reputation as a maverick exploitation film guru, Dick worked with a plethora of stars including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Vincent Price, Anita Ekberg, Eartha Kitt, George Lazenby, Burgess Meredith and James Mason.

He specialised in genres such as softcore sleaze (The Daughter of Emmanuelle, The Erotic Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, An Erotic Journal of a Lady from Thailand), low-rent horror (Dr. Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks, King of Kong Island), mondo documentaries (The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield, Mondo Inferno), giallo murder mystery (French Sex Murders, The Girl in Room 2a) and secret agent thrillers (For Your Height Only, Death Dimension), martial arts action (The Real Bruce Lee, Challenge of the Tiger) and 80s slasher schlock (Pieces, Don't Open 'Til Christmas). Dick took quirky cameo roles in his films as did Corliss starring as female detective Chick Norris alongside Bruce Lee.

The Big Smoke

Corliss first settled in central London with Dick in the early 1980's. His death in 1997 prompted her return to her musical roots and her passion for jazz and blues. She has been performing on London's ever-burgeoning live music and cabaret scene ever since, starring at charity benefits, high profile parties and at weekly London-based residencies. "For an artist there are great opportunities here, London loves live music and cabaret. It's the only thing I want to do. I've started my whole life over again, it's gone from my childhood, completely around the circle. Back in the groove."