The last of the true poster pin-up models is headed to the Spa City to lead the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Carmen Electra — model, actress, recording artist, sex symbol — will be visiting Hot Springs and Arkansas for the first time when she appears as grand marshal of the event March 17.
The parade takes place on all 98 feet of historic Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs, and the event itself and festivities around it have grown into one of the more unique events in the country.
Last year’s parade drew more than 30,000 spectators. Think of an Irish-themed Mardi Gras for the Spa City, and trade Fat Tuesday for Green Tuesday. Electra may very well not yet comprehend just what awaits her.
“I hadn’t heard about it until I signed on for this,” the Ohio native told AY About You, “but I’m looking forward to some good soul food. I’m from Cincinnati, and we know how to make some good soul food. My good friend, Billy Bob Thornton, tells me they make some good soul food in Arkansas too.”
Electra will have every opportunity to sample Arkansas food and drink and, of course, to have fun. From what she now knows about the parade, Electra said, “it looks like a lot of fun.”
The parade district around Bridge Street opens at 3 p.m. on March 17. The now famous 0K race begins at 4 p.m., when contestants will sprint, stroll or even saunter down Bridge Street to finish at O’Kelley’s Pub, the world’s biggest inflatable Irish pop-up pub.
The Arkansas Blarney Stone, “discovered by a leprechaun in the forests that surround Hot Springs” and now sitting in front of the Hot Springs Convention Center, plays a big part in the festivities — the Blarney Stone kissing contest commences at 4 p.m. Preparade festivities kick off at 5 p.m., the official measuring of the parade route is set for 6:29 p.m., and the parade starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by a live concert.
This year’s music will be provided by The Molly Ringwalds. Other parade officials include celebrity parade starter Matt Iseman; king and queen Monte Everhart and JoAnn Mangione; and special guests Vinny Chapman, a Texarkana native known as the dancing umpire of Savannah Bananas fame, and former Razorback great and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Dan Hampton. Never fear — the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will make their annual trek to the Spa City for the parade.
Past grand marshals have included George Wendt from Cheers; comedian Pauly Shore; Mario Lopez from Saved By the Bell; Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs; John Ratzenberger from Cheers, who is also a Pixar voice actor; Bo Derek, who first found success with the movie 10; John Corbett from Northern Exposure and Sex and the City; Tim Matheson from Animal House; Jim Belushi from According to Jim and Saturday Night Live; Arkansas native and famous former NASCAR driver Mark Martin; Kevin Bacon, six degrees to everyone; Alfonso Ribeiro from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; Joey Fatone from NSYNC; Ralph Macchio from The Karate Kid films and Cobra Kai; Cheech Marin from Cheech & Chong; Arkansas native and country music star Justin Moore; former Dallas Cowboys all-pro Emmitt Smith; and actress and TV host Valerie Bertinelli.
Electra has seen her fair share of spotlights, though Hot Springs may end up representing the most unique. Now 53, Electra — real name Tara Leigh Patrick — began her career as a recording artist signed to Prince’s Paisley Park Records. Her self-titled debut album, a mix of hip-hop and dance, was released in 1993.
Turns out, it was Prince who gave Electra her stage name. She told AY she was watching the 1954 musical Carmen Jones with Prince when the purple one suddenly declared, “You look more like a Carmen.” He even produced an unreleased Electra song titled, “Carmen on Top.”
“I was, like, OK, whatever you say,” she said. “The Electra came later.”
Allegedly, Prince added Electra in recognition of her “electrifying” dance moves.
“At first, I thought it sounded like a superhero name,” she said, “but I went with it.”
She went far with it. By 1996, she had moved to Los Angeles permanently and was modeling professionally, most notably in Playboy. The following year, she broke into TV as a regular on Baywatch and the world was officially “Electra-fied.”
She has appeared in many movies, among them An American Vampire Story, Meet the Spartans, Starsky & Hutch, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Get Over It, and I Want Candy. She was also recognized for her work in parody films such as Scary Movie, Scary Movie 4, Date Movie, Epic Movie and Disaster Movie.
Electra also hosted the MTV dating show Singled Out and co-hosted the MTV reality series ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave with then-husband Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction fame.
Electra said she started recording dance music again about 10 years ago. One of her singles, “I Like It Loud,” was “on the short list for a Grammy nomination,” she said.
“For me, music the second time was a hobby,” she said. “My attitude was, ‘Let’s just go out and have some fun.’”
Electra said modeling was always her preferred vocation, but she is happy anytime she has “an avenue where I can dance.”
“Dancing is where my heart is,” she said.
Electra should have opportunities to indulge all her passions in Hot Springs, the little tourism hot spot that could.
“I love that I get to travel all over the world and go to the most interesting places,” she said, “and I love parades. Always have, since I was a little.”
Print title: Carmen on Point: Spa City leprechauns set to be ‘Electra-fied’
READ ALSO: American Ninja Warrior Host Matt Iseman Named Official Starter for Hot Springs World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade
