Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, dancer.
She gained fame for her appearances in Playboy magazine, on the MTV game show Singled Out, on the TV series Baywatch, for her appearances dancing with the Pussycat Dolls and has since had roles in the parody films Scary Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans, and Disaster Movie.
Electra was born in Sharonville, Ohio, the daughter of Patricia, a singer, and Harry, an entertainer and guitarist. She attended Ann Weigel Elementary School and then studied dance at Dance Artists dance studio under Gloria J. Simpson, in Western Hills, a neighborhood of Cincinnati. Her mother died of a brain tumor in 1998. Her older sister Debbie died from a heart attack, also in 1998. Carmen graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville. She has Irish, German, and Cherokee ancestry.
She moved to California in the early 1990s, where she met Prince while auditioning for an all-girl rap group. Prince persuaded her to change her name to Carmen Electra and record a solo album. Soon after, she signed a recording contract with Prince's company Paisley Park Records, marking the start of her musical career.
Electra started her professional career in 1990 as a dancer at Kings Island theme park in Mason, Ohio in the show "It’s Magic", one of more popular shows in the park's history.
Electra was featured in Playboy four more times, with her second appearance in June 1997, third in December 2000, fourth in April 2003 and her fifth in the January 2009 anniversary issue. She subsequently was on the cover three times, in December 2000, April 2003 and on the 55th anniversary Issue in January 2009.
