About Candy Loving: From Kansas to Playboy Icon
Early Life and Background
Candis Loving was born on September 4, 1956, in the small town of Oswego, Kansas, a rural community in the southeastern part of the state near the Oklahoma border. Growing up in the American heartland during the 1960s and early 1970s, her childhood was typical of many young women in that region and era, characterized by small-town values and limited exposure to the entertainment industry that would later define her public life. Oswego, with a population of just over 1,800 people at the time, provided a quiet upbringing far removed from the glamour and celebrity that awaited her.
Her family background and early education remain relatively private, as Candy has not given extensive interviews about her childhood years. What is known comes primarily from her Playboy interview and brief biographical mentions in various publications from the late 1970s. She attended local schools in Kansas before her family relocated to Oklahoma, where she would later attend university. This move proved significant for her future, as it placed her in proximity to opportunities that would not have existed in her small Kansas hometown.
By the time she reached college age, Candy enrolled at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, one of the state's flagship public universities. She was pursuing her education there in 1978 when she was discovered by Playboy scouts. The university, founded in 1890, had an enrollment of approximately 20,000 students during the late 1970s, providing a much larger social environment than her small-town upbringing. This transition from rural Kansas to a major state university represented her first significant step toward a broader world of possibilities.
The late 1970s were a period of significant social change in America, particularly regarding women's roles and opportunities. Young women of Candy's generation faced different choices and possibilities than their mothers had, with expanding options in education, careers, and personal expression. This cultural context is important for understanding how an 18-year-old college student from Kansas might make the decision to pose for Playboy, a choice that would have been far more controversial or unthinkable in earlier decades. The feminist movement, sexual revolution, and changing media landscape all contributed to an environment where glamour modeling could be seen as a legitimate, if controversial, career choice.
Her discovery story, like many Playmate origin stories, involved a combination of chance and opportunity. Playboy maintained a network of scouts and photographers who actively searched for potential models at college campuses, modeling agencies, and through photo submissions. The magazine received thousands of submissions annually but selected only twelve women for the monthly Playmate feature, making the selection process highly competitive. Candy's natural beauty and photogenic qualities caught the attention of these talent scouts, leading to a test shoot and eventually her selection for the prestigious 25th Anniversary issue.
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Birth Name | Candis Loving |
| Date of Birth | September 4, 1956 |
| Birthplace | Oswego, Kansas, USA |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Education | University of Oklahoma (attended) |
| Height | 5'6" (168 cm) |
| Career Start | 1978 (age 18) |
| Career Peak | 1979-1982 |
| Years Active | Approximately 1978-1985 |
| Current Residence | Florida (reported) |
The Playboy Years and Rise to Fame
Candy Loving's selection as Playboy's January 1979 Playmate of the Month was not just another monthly feature but a carefully planned celebration of the magazine's 25th anniversary. Hugh Hefner and the editorial team wanted a Playmate who embodied both classic beauty and the fresh, youthful energy that had characterized Playboy since its founding in December 1953. The selection process for this special issue was more rigorous than usual, with numerous candidates considered before Candy was chosen. Her combination of natural beauty, photogenic appeal, and wholesome yet sensual presence made her the ideal choice to represent this milestone.
The photoshoot for her pictorial took place in 1978 under the direction of Richard Fegley, one of Playboy's most accomplished photographers who had shot numerous centerfolds throughout the 1970s. Fegley's style emphasized natural lighting and settings that showcased the models' personalities alongside their physical attributes. The resulting images presented Candy in various poses and settings that balanced artistic composition with the magazine's signature aesthetic. The production values for this anniversary issue were higher than typical monthly features, with additional pages, better paper quality, and more elaborate photography setups.
When the January 1979 issue hit newsstands in late December 1978, it generated immediate attention and strong sales. Playboy's circulation was at its historical peak during this period, and the anniversary designation drove additional interest from both regular readers and collectors. The issue sold significantly above the monthly average of 5.6 million copies, though exact figures for individual issues were not publicly disclosed by the company. The commercial success validated the editorial team's choice and established Candy as one of the most successful Playmates in terms of issue sales.
Following her centerfold appearance, Candy became part of Playboy's promotional ecosystem, which included personal appearances, television spots, and features in subsequent Playboy publications. The magazine operated a sophisticated marketing and talent management system for its Playmates, booking them for club openings, promotional events, and media appearances. Playmates could earn substantial income from these appearances, with fees ranging from several hundred dollars for local events to several thousand for major appearances. This circuit allowed Candy to capitalize on her fame and build a career beyond the initial magazine appearance.
Her television appearances during this period included guest spots on popular variety shows and talk shows, where she demonstrated a natural ease in front of cameras and audiences. Unlike some models who struggled with the transition from still photography to live television, Candy showed genuine charisma and comfort in interview settings. These appearances helped broaden her appeal beyond Playboy's readership and established her as a recognizable celebrity of the era. The late 1970s represented a unique moment when Playboy Playmates could appear on mainstream television without significant controversy, a level of acceptance that would prove temporary as cultural attitudes shifted in subsequent decades. For more detailed information about her measurements and career statistics, visit our FAQ page.
Legacy and Life After Fame
By the mid-1980s, Candy Loving began the gradual process of withdrawing from public life and the entertainment industry. This transition was not marked by any single dramatic event or announcement but rather a steady reduction in appearances and modeling work. Several factors likely contributed to this decision, including the natural life cycle of modeling careers, changing personal priorities, and perhaps a desire for privacy and normalcy after years of public attention. The modeling industry, particularly glamour modeling, has always been youth-focused, and many models transition to other careers or private life as they enter their late twenties and thirties.
The decision to step away from fame demonstrated considerable foresight and self-awareness, as Candy recognized that celebrity status is often temporary and that building a sustainable, private life required deliberate action. Unlike some former Playmates who attempted to maintain public profiles through various means, she chose a clean break from her former career. This choice has allowed her to live for decades without the constant scrutiny that follows those who remain in the public eye. The contrast between her brief but intense period of fame and her long subsequent private life is striking, with her public career lasting roughly five to seven years while her private life has now extended more than four decades.
Her legacy within Playboy history remains secure, as the January 1979 issue continues to be sought by collectors and discussed in communities dedicated to vintage Playboy memorabilia. The magazine's 25th anniversary designation ensures her permanent place in the publication's historical narrative. Online communities, collector forums, and vintage modeling enthusiast groups regularly discuss her appearance and its significance. The enduring interest demonstrates that her impact extended beyond the immediate moment of publication, creating a lasting cultural footprint that has survived changing tastes and technologies.
The broader cultural significance of Candy Loving's career relates to larger discussions about beauty standards, media representation of women, and the complex legacy of publications like Playboy in American culture. Academic researchers studying gender, media, and popular culture have examined the phenomenon of the Playboy Playmate as both an expression of female sexuality and a form of objectification, with Candy's career often cited as an example of the contradictions inherent in glamour modeling. These scholarly discussions, available through university research databases and publications, provide context for understanding her career within broader social and cultural frameworks.
Reports suggest that Candy eventually settled in Florida, where she has maintained her privacy and lived away from media attention. The specifics of her current life remain largely unknown, which appears to be exactly as she prefers. This successful maintenance of privacy in an age of social media and constant connectivity is remarkable and speaks to her commitment to living life on her own terms. Her story ultimately represents not just a brief moment of fame but a longer narrative about the possibility of reclaiming privacy and building a life beyond celebrity, offering a different model than the constant visibility that characterizes modern celebrity culture. Those interested in understanding her cultural impact can find additional context on our home page, which explores her significance in modeling history.
| Year | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Magazine | Playboy Playmate of the Month (January) |
| 1979 | Magazine | Playboy 25th Anniversary Special Feature |
| 1979-1980 | Television | Various talk show and variety show appearances |
| 1980-1981 | Events | Playboy promotional events and personal appearances |
| 1981-1982 | Magazine | Additional Playboy special edition features |
| 1982-1984 | Events | Continued personal appearance circuit |
| 1985+ | Retirement | Withdrawal from public life and entertainment industry |
External Resources
- University of Oklahoma - She attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman during the late 1970s when she was discovered by Playboy scouts.
- Playboy's historical context - Understanding Playboy's historical context helps explain the cultural significance of being selected as the 25th Anniversary Playmate.
- U.S. Census Bureau - Demographic data about American communities and population trends from the U.S. Census Bureau provides context for understanding small-town Kansas in the 1950s and 1960s.