Deborah D. Lee

Debbie was born on September 15, 1950. She was the middle child of three children born to Glen and Patricia Davis. She grew up in Las Vegas and attended Western High School where she graduated in 1968. Debbie also attended UNLV.

After graduating, her mother encouraged her to audition for a part in the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel in 1969. A successful audition marked the beginning of her 20 year career as a showgirl. Throughout her career she appeared onstage with many entertainment legends including Gene Kelly, George Burns, and Joan Rivers. During the 1970s and early 80s she was one of the most photographed showgirls of Las Vegas. For many years, her beautiful smile welcomed Las Vegas visitors as they exited the airport on Paradise Road. As lead showgirl, she was the face of the Folies Bergere and her photo was used on all of their promotional materials. She traveled throughout the U.S., in addition to Paris and London, as a representative of the Tropicana on publicity tours. At the end of her career, she was awarded the title of “longest running showgirl on the Las Vegas Strip.”

When she left the stage in 1989, she moved behind the scenes to become the Folies Bergere backstage tour guide. As tour guide, she detailed the history of the show, and shared many funny stories about her life in front of, and behind, the curtain. Her vibrant sense of humor earned her many fans, and patrons often repeated the tour just to hear her stories recounted.

Debbie married her first husband, Gary Freyman, in 1971, and she gave birth to a daughter, Jennifer, in 1973. She gained a son, Michael, after marrying Larry Lee in 1975. Larry would later become producer of the Folies Bergere, as well as the Tropicana’s Director of Entertainment. They divorced after 35 years of marriage but remained close friends until Larry passed away in 2011.

Debbie was very artistic. She enjoyed drawing, watercolor painting, and sewing. Backstage, in between numbers during the Folies shows, she used to teach her fellow cast mates how to crochet. She was a life-long animal lover, and especially adored her cats. She took great pride in, and enjoyed, being a grandmother to her four grandchildren. By all who knew her, Debbie will be most remembered for her irreplaceable sense of humor, her beautiful smile, and above all, her beautiful heart.

Debbie is survived by her mother, Patricia Davis; her brother, Jeff Davis, and her sister, Janet (Jim) Shugart; her daughter, Jennifer (Michael) Cannon, and son, Michael Lee; as well as her grandchildren, Cole, Chloe, Camryn, and Cooper Cannon; in addition to her nieces, and many cousins. Private services will be held.