Amanda Hodges Cleveland, professionally known as Missy Cleveland, was born on December 25, 1959, in Jackson, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Becky and Sam Hodges, and had two sisters and three brothers. Cleveland's early life was marked by her participation in the Little Miss Mississippi Pageant at the tender age of 10. She attended both Provine High School and McClure Academy in Mississippi, where she likely honed her academic and extracurricular skills.
In the late 1970s, Cleveland's life took a dramatic turn when she was discovered by Playboy through the magazine's 25th Anniversary Great Playmate Hunt. Encouraged by her mother, Cleveland entered the contest and was subsequently featured as the Playmate of the Month in the April 1979 issue of Playboy. This marked the beginning of her career in the adult entertainment industry.
In the early 1980s, Cleveland made small appearances in a handful of films, including a memorable role as a college coed in the 1981 slasher film "Blow Out." She later worked for the Playboy modeling agency in Los Angeles and moved to both Florida and Canada before settling back in her native Mississippi.
In her later years, Cleveland worked as a property manager in the Jackson area and was a longtime member of the Van Winkle Baptist Church. Despite her successful career, Cleveland's life was tragically cut short when she died in her home in Yazoo City, Mississippi, at the age of 41 on August 14, 2001, due to an adverse reaction to prescription medication.
