Lada Edmund, Jr. was originally cast in the Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie" alongside Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera in 1960. She later became a featured dancer on the NBC show "Hullabaloo" in 1965, known as the "Hullabaloo A-Go-Go Girl in the cage".
The "A Go-Go" segment on Hullabaloo was based on the Whiskey A-Go-Go establishment in Los Angeles, featuring guest artists while Hullabaloo dancers supported the acts with dance routines.
At 17 years old, Lada was assigned to dance in one of the Go-Go cages, instructed to make the frills on her dress fly. Her high-octane effort stole every show, saving Hullabaloo after the first guest star, Joey Heatherton, received complaints about her outfit and dance moves.
Lada's performance led to a recording contract, where she recorded two known hits, "I Know Something" and "The LaRue". She also hosted a radio program, was a guest columnist for the New York Times, and appeared in a small-budgeted movie, "Out Of It", alongside Jon Voight.
After Hullabaloo, Lada became a Hollywood stunt person and driver, becoming the highest-paid female in the industry. She was one of the first female stunt people to establish a career in the field, and her most notable assignment was her association with Hal Needham.
Lada successfully tested and lobbied for the use of the air bag in cars, now used in every car in America.
