Queen Rita Proctor

Queen Rita Proctor

MEMPHIS BLUES QUEENS

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My name is Queen Rita (a.ka. Queen Lucille, or my friends just call me Luce [pronounced loose]). Even as a little girl when my sister and cousins and I would play dress up, I always wanted the sparkling dress to wear. I guess even back then I knew there was a queen in me trying to get out. A dear friend of mine that had been going through a rough time herself first introduced me to the The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love. She told me that I needed to get this book and read it for myself, which I did and my life has never been the same (thank God!!). I was living in Pensacola, Florida at this time and away from all my great friends in Memphis. Then I found out that a group of my friends from Memphis were also reading the book and decided we should go to the parade in 2001 and we deemed ourselves queens. There were about seven of us who experienced it that year. We were not sure what we were in for, but were willing to try it out. When we returned from that weekend we shared with other people of the fun we had and decided we needed to come up with a name for our group (The Margarita Queens) and get signed up on The Sweet Potato Queens website.

The next year (2002) we were trying to go with the theme of the parade, which was palindromes, and were dressed all in red devil suits and were TOO HOT TO HOOT and had an even BIGGER TIME as we stayed at the host hotel, which at that time was the Crown Royal. We had the door decorations and the PJ and Pearl after parade party.

Then in 2003 (after I had moved back to Memphis) we tried to come up with a costume for the Margarita Queens but did not quite get the effect we were hoping for, even though at that time, our now Boss Queen, Vickie had joined our group. After returning from that parade weekend some of us were all hyped up and wanted to do more throughout the year, but were not quite sure what to do. Then our wonderful Boss Queen Vickie decided she would invite some of her friends to an open house and explain about the Sweet Potato Queen Chapters and that is when she began The Memphis Blues Queens, of which I am a very proud member.

Since becoming a Memphis Blues Queen my life has been abundantly filled with sweet, dear friends (sisterly queens and brotherly soul men) that I might have never met. And, oh, the doors that we have graciously been invited to enter because of the charity performances we do.

Then, there are the great smiles and laughter of the people we visit that enrich my heart so very much. I know that we stay pretty busy with this, but those smiles and laughter totally make it worthwhile.

I can feel the energy and excitement building every time I put on my jet-black BIG HAIR wig, tiara, dress and of course those BLUE SUEDE BOOTS. Add to that the great music playing and the queens all coming together, you can understand why we always make a huge commotion and why we each enjoy it so very much.

If you think you would like to be a part of such great friends and fun, then check out the Sweet Potato Queens website and set up a chapter or join a chapter, then you too can start celebrating life to its fullest!!