To all dancers, dance enthusiasts and tap dancers, join us in celebrating the Birthday of Clayton Peg Leg Bates today 10/11/1907.
A Tap Master and National Treasure born in Fountain Inn South Carolina.
As a young boy Bates worked the cotton fields of SC, a job he hated wasn’t 9 to 5, it was can to can’t. In 1918 he lost his leg in a cottonseed mill accident, his uncle built him his first Peg Leg. As he was quoted in Black Dance in America, I put that leg on, and I used to walk and run five miles a day, jumping over ditches, way out in the woods by myself. Within a year and a half after the accident Bates could walk and dance with his artificial leg. Soon, everyone, even his mother began calling him Peg Leg.
In 1920 Peg Leg began dancing in amateur shows in Greenville, SC, in 1926 he joined Eddie Leonard’s Dashing Dinah company, in 1928 he joined Blackbirds of 1928 touring revue, from the 1930 – 1940 he toured the United States and Europe, between 1950 and 1970 he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show over 22 times plus other television programs, in 1951 he opened The Peg Leg Bates Country Club in Kerhonkson, NY, the Catskill region, and in 1989 he sold it and retired from performing, except for special appearances as a tap dancer and an inspirational speaker, speaking to young people..
Bates returned to the stage in a special production of This Joint is Jumpin’ in New York in 1995. Bates confided to the audience in his closing each night, You have made a certain one-legged dancer very very happy. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
Bates was the recipient of the Flo-Bert award – 1994.
The clip is a compilation of performances by Peg Leg Bates. Enjoy…