Born in Ohio on April 20, 1972, her original name was Tara Leigh Patrick.
Born to a singer mother and a guitarist father, Tara shifted base to California when she was 19, and started auditioning for bands.
While trying out for an all-girl rap group, she met popstar Prince -- the first of her celebrity boyfriends. Prince, who once changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol prompting the world to call him The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, told Tara to record a solo album instead, and made her change her name to Carmen Electra.
Clearly, he'd noticed the body. The name fits.
Photograph: Getty Images