Back in the 1960s, Austin was a charming town that not only served as the state capital but also as home of The University of Texas. Despite an overwhelmingly sized student body, it was well-known that when a certain coed was walking across the campus on her way to class, all eyes were focused on her. She was not just another beautiful blonde. There was a joie de vivre about her that just made her dazzle. That sparkle had resulted in her being the first freshman to be named one of the “ten most beautiful coeds on campus.” Hollywood agent David Mirisch got wind of this remarkable creature and encouraged her to come to California. But the Tri Delt, who changed her major from microbiology to art, said thanks but no thanks for two years. But David was persistent and finally, at the age of 21, she moved to Los Angeles with her parents’ permission to “try her luck” in the entertainment industry.
Unlike other hopeful ingenues whose dreams of stardom were dashed to the curb, the Texas golden girl with the funny name hit paydirt across the boards. It was as if the glitzy world of beautiful people had been waiting for fresh, girl-next-door Farrah Fawcett.

Making the rounds with small parts in commercials like Ultra-Brite toothpaste and movies like “Logan’s Run,” she was learning the trade and impressing vets and the public with her looks, vitality and personality.
But then in 1976 she skyrocketed to national fame with two developments.
First, it was a photo shoot for a poster of Farrah in a one-piece red bathing suit. Not since the days of Betty Grable’s World War II pinup shot had a photo risen to such heights, resulting in 12M copies being sold. Farrah got 10% of the sales and the red swimsuit ended up in the Smithsonian.
The poster’s rise to fame took place just before the launch of Aaron Spelling new TV show, “Charlie’s Angels,” that featured her as one of a trio of female private investigators. Like the poster, the show was a hit resulting in hairdressers throughout the country being overwhelmed with clients requesting the “Farrah hair.”
Despite leaving the show after just one season, Farrah’s prominence only grew within the industry, as she won acting awards and accolades for both screen and stage performances. And like many successful entertainers, her personal life became fodder for coverage in the media — turbulent relationships with ex-husband Lee Majors and Ryan O’Neal, talk show appearances that left some scratching their heads and her diagnosis of cancer in 2006.
During her final stages of the cancer, her friend Alana Stewart was not just by her side but helped Farrah document the reality of fighting cancer in the Emmy Award-nominated, one-and-a-half-hour documentary, “Farrah’s Story,” in 2009.
Just two years before her death, Farrah established the Farrah Fawcett Foundation (FFF) to “fund innovative cancer research, help promote prevention and awareness and to help those struggling with cancer.”
Thanks to Alana, who serves as FFF president/CEO, the organization has grown in its mission. In 2013 it partnered up with Stand Up To Cancer to fund “a collaborative translation research team grant focused on human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers.”

To help fund the Foundation’s mission, the Tex-Mex Fiesta was launched in L.A. back in 2015. This year for the first time it’s heading to Farrah’s home state to support the American Cancer Society/Cattle Baron’s Ball Hope Lodge and Stand Up To Cancer.
The shindig is going to take place at The Rustic on Thursday, October 20 with an all-star cast including Co-Chairs Alana and Jaclyn Smith, Alana’s ex-husband George Hamilton as emcee, Sheryl Crow performing onstage and loads of Farrah’s friends like Donna Mills and the evening’s honoree Linda Gray. One of the evening’s highlights will be “a special acknowledgment to Ryan O’Neal for his continued support of the FFF.”
But before that takes place, Alana will be in town for the dedication of a bronze statue created by Farrah at the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge on the Baylor University Medical Center campus, and a special screening of “Farrah’s Story” will be held.
2022 Tex-Mex tickets and tables are available here but be forewarned — they’re going fast.
* Graphic/photo courtesy of Farrah Fawcett Foundation