Blair Daimler (she would later take on her mother's last name, Cramer) came to Llanview in 1991. Blair's mother, Addie, is a mentally challenged woman who was raped by an attendant in the mental institution she resided in. Addie's sister, Dorian Lord, believed her sister was dead and had no idea she was in a mental hospital, let alone pregnant. After her birth, Blair was shuttled between various foster homes, but once she turned eighteen, she had her mother released into her care.

Upon arrival in Llanview, Blair quickly got a job at The Banner where she crossed paths with Cord Roberts. There was an attraction between the two, and even though they kissed, Cord remained true to his wife Tina. Soon after, Blair met Max Holden and sparks ignited. Things got complicated when Blair met the very rich Asa Buchanan. Determined to marry him and get a share of the Buchanan dynasty -- as well as use Asa's money to get legal guardianship of Addie -- Blair worked her wiles on Asa and kissed him in the Buchanan stables. Renee Buchanan witnessed the kiss, and eventually divorced Asa as a result of the fallout. Despite her attraction to Max, Blair got Asa to marry her, and soon after obtained legal guardianship of her mother. However, Blair and Max made love on Blair's wedding day!

Blair also had revenge in mind when it came to her aunt Dorian, whom she blamed for Addie being forced to live in a mental institution, as well as Blair's own foster upbringing. Not revealing her identity, Blair tricked Dorian into signing a document that implicated her (Dorian) in Victor Lord's death. Blair blackmailed Dorian into making her editor-in-chief of Dorian's newspaper, The Intruder. Dorian soon discovered that her sister Addie was alive and that Blair was her niece. Dorian explained to Blair that she believed Addie was dead and had no idea of her existence. Blair slowly began to build a relationship with Dorian.

Asa wanted a child, but Blair did not. She did anything she could to avoid intimacy and faked a difficult pregnancy to get out of sleeping with him. After a fall, Blair's scheme was almost revealed, but Blair managed to convince Asa and the doctors that she had a hysterical pregnancy. While in the hospital, Asa helped Dorian win custody of Addie in order to send her to St. Ann's, a veritable treatment facility. Furious when she found out, Blair screamed at Asa, revealing that she was never pregnant and that she slept with Max on their wedding day! A seething Asa divorced Blair, leaving her with nothing. An attempt to win back Max failed.

After moving to Florida for a few months, Blair returned (now played by Kassie DePaiva) and was determined to win Max back. Completely obsessed with Max, Blair preyed on his gambling addiction in order to get closer to him and drive him away from his wife Luna. Eventually the two began a sexual relationship, which drove Luna to leave Max. After Blair accidentally hit Luna with her car, Max was shaken into reality and he and Luna reunited.

Completely depressed, Blair attempted suicide in an effort to get Max back. Cord saved her, and it was enough to make her realize that she had become completely obsessed and delusional in her behavior with Max. Blair and Cord began dating. It was around this time that Blair first met Todd Manning, and the two struck an unlikely friendship...and a simmering attraction....