Childhood: 1945–1965
Divine was born as Harris Glenn Milstead on October 19, 1945, at Women's Hospital in Baltimore. His father, Harris Bernard Milstead (May 1, … See more

Later disco work, Lust in the Dust, and Hairspray: 1984–1988
Divine's career as a disco singer continued and his records had sold well, but he and his management felt … See more

After developing a name for himself as a female impersonator known for "trashy" behavior in his early John Waters films, Divine capitalized on this image by appearing at his … See more

The New York Times said of Milstead's 1980s films: "Those who could get past the unremitting weirdness of Divine's performance discovered that the actor/actress had genuine talent, including a natural sense of comic timing and an uncanny gift for … See more

Pink Flamingos: 1971–1972
Following his San Francisco stay, Divine returned to Baltimore and participated in Waters's next film See more

On March 7, 1988, three weeks after Hairspray was released nationwide, Divine was staying at the Regency Plaza Suites Hotel in Los Angeles. He was scheduled to tape a guest appearance the following day as Uncle Otto on the Fox network's television series See more

During his childhood and adolescence, Divine was called "Glenn" by his friends and family; as an adult, he used the stage name "Divine" as his personal name, telling one … See more