Marguerite Empey

About Marguerite Empey

Empey was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Marguerite (née Andrus) and soldier, author, songwriter, actor, and movie producer, Arthur Guy Empey.

Under the name Marguerite Empey she was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in May 1955 and in February 1956. The photos for her 1956 appearance were taken by soft core porn director Russ Meyer.

Empey took ballet lessons from Russian ballerina Maria Befefi and later worked as a chorus girl at Bimbo's in San Francisco. In 1955, she married Joe Webber.

She later took an interest in nudism, appearing in numerous nudist magazines. Naked & Together: The Wonderful Webbers by June Lange, published by Elysium Inc in 1967, documented the Webbers' nudist life style. Webber posed for many famous photographers such as Peter Gowland, Bunny Yeager and Russ Meyer.

She also appeared on the covers for several vinyl record albums including Les Baxter's Jewels of the Sea, Sea of Dreams by Nelson Riddle, Marty Paich's Jazz For Relaxation, Chile con Cugie by Xavier Cugat and the RCA Japanese release of the Seiji Hiraoka & His Quartet album Bedtime Music.

In 1965 Diane traveled to Sioux City, Iowa to testify at the request of a US attorney in a trial involving sending alleged obscene nudist magazines into Iowa.

From around 1969 to 1980 Empey devoted her full-time career as a bellydance instructor at the now defunct Everywoman's Village in Van Nuys, California. She occasionally performed this dance accompanied by her top students and a band playing Middle Eastern music in public places in and around Los Angeles. Empey founded Perfumes of Araby, one of the first American belly dancing companies. Empey's shows were extremely sensual; they didn’t pander to the audience. Lots of women and children enjoyed the shows. For several years Empey coordinated outdoor performances with up to 40 Middle Eastern dancers.

In the Gay Talese book Thy Neighbor's Wife, the story tells of a man who carried Diane Webber's nude picture in his wallet for fifteen years as his masturbatory fantasy.

Empey died on August 19, 2008 in Los Angeles at the age of 76 due to complications following surgery for colon cancer.