PAM GRIER

The reigning queen of the '70s blaxploitation genre, Pam Grier was born May 26, 1949 in Winston-Salem, NC. The daughter of an Air Force mechanic, she was raised on military bases in England and Germany. During her teen years, the family settled in Denver, CO, where at the age of 18, Grier entered the Miss Colorado Universe pageant; named first runner-up, she attracted the attention of Hollywood agent David Baumgarten, who signed her to a contract. After relocating to Los Angeles, Grier struggled to mount an acting career, and worked as a switchboard operator at the studios of ...