Rhonda Jo Petty

Rhonda Jo Petty's Porn Star Biography

Rhonda Jo Petty might not have achieved the star status as some of her contemporaries, but she has clearly etched out a place as one of the sexiest and most provocative females of the Golden Era. She was born and raised in Petty decided to try nude modeling. She was on the cover of Cheri and High Society, and eventually took the leap to adult films, following the path that so many of her fellow costars took. Petty gained notoriety as a Farrah Fawcett look-alike during the promotion of her first starring role in Disco Lady (1978), where she was credited under the name Sarah Dawcett because of the remarkable resemblance she bore to her Hollywood counterpart. Petty did not possess great acting skills, but she was able to pull off a good performance in a role that didn't demand a great deal of acting.

Little Orphan Dusty

After Disco Lady, Rhonda had a starring role in Little Orphan Dusty and that's where she met John Holmes. Petty played Dusty in the film, an orphanage runaway trying to get by on her own. Dusty was attacked by a motorcycle gang and left naked and . She was discovered by a local artist, Frankie (Holmes), who took her under his wing. After a few orgy parties and some ugly confrontations with the biker gang ringleader, Dusty discovered that she was pregnant. Frankie and Dusty married before one final altercation with the gang members. Little Orphan Dusty contained several rough scenes and Petty quickly created a fan base that appreciated her inclination for the edgy sex scenes which became synonymous with her name after Little Orphan Dusty.

Later Career

Fearful of her father's reaction after opting to use her real name in Little Orphan Dusty, Petty went into hiding for almost two years but eventually went back to the adult business. She was hired by Freeway Films to star in two movies - Sweet Captive (1980) and Sweet Dreams Suzan (1980). She enjoyed making Country Comfort (1981) costarring Georgina Spelvin, Drea, and a young actress named Ginger, as four southern women trying to make ends meet at the end of the Civil War. Randy West and Tommy La Roc played their male counterparts. Another great film was Baby Cakes (1982), which chronicled the adventures of three girlfriends on a bicycle trip down the California coast. Another notable film was Satisfactions (1983), where she did a scene with three construction workers played by Ron Jeremy, Herschel Savage, and Danny Weirdman.

On the Dancing Circuit

During the final years of her adult career, Petty went to the dancing circuit. "I was growing tired of making films and it was just time to go on the road with them and promote them. The last six to eight years before I quit, I was doing performances all over the United States and Canada, where the money was good." Petty continued to dance and promote her films for years, but eventually retired from the adult industry altogether.

Life After Porn

Petty was in the adult industry from 1977 till 1987. After leaving the adult business, she got married and settled down with her husband and their two kids in Riverside, California. In September 2012, she had left Riverside after her separation and moved back to her home town of Chatsworth, CA.

Awards

• 2004 Inductee AVN Hall of Fame
• 2012 Inductee XRCO Hall of Fame