Danielle Colby

Danielle Colby, born on December 3, 1975, in Davenport, Iowa, established herself as a notable figure in American reality television and entrepreneurship. Prior to her television career, Colby was actively involved in roller derby, where she owned and played for the Big Mouth Mickies for three years. Her diverse interests later led her to burlesque dancing, an art form she pursued after attending a performance in Chicago. Upon returning to the Quad Cities area of Iowa, she founded the professional burlesque troupe Burlesque Le Moustache, performing under the stage name Dannie Diesel and touring across eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

Colby’s television career began with ‘American Pickers,’ a show that premiered on the History Channel on January 18, 2010. Having been a long-time friend of Mike Wolfe, one of the show’s stars, she was asked to manage the office of the antique shop Antique Archaeology. ‘American Pickers’ quickly achieved significant success, becoming the top-rated non-fiction series of 2010 among total viewers and adults aged 25–54. Her role on the show brought her national recognition and allowed her to combine her passion for vintage items with her entrepreneurial spirit.

Beyond her work on ‘American Pickers’ and burlesque, Colby also ventured into fashion design, owning and operating 4 Miles 2 Memphis, a retro clothing company. The business briefly had a physical store in Chicago’s Wicker Park in 2013. More recently, Colby has expanded her commitment to burlesque by opening the Ecdysiast Arts Museum in Davenport, Iowa, where she also teaches burlesque classes. In 2022, Colby took a hiatus from ‘American Pickers’ due to medical issues, undergoing a hysterectomy for uterine fibroids. She has since returned to her various endeavors, including her role on the show, which is currently in its 27th season.