Tap Legacy Foundation, Inc.

Preserving and Advancing the Art of Tap Dance.

California

[Daily Post] Arthur Duncan HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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Dr. Arthur Duncan was born in Pasadena, California, September 25, 1933. Pursuing his college education, he entered the Pasadena City College to study pharmacy, but left school soon after to pursue a career in show business, at which he garnered success as a tap dancer and singer. He toured with the Jimmy Rodgers Show.

After several years of appearances in Europe, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk’s personal manager, Sam Lutz. After appearing as a guest on the show, Lawrence Welk offered Duncan a permanent spot as a member of his musical family.

Arthur Duncan gained fame as the first African American performer on the popular Lawrence Welk Show. Duncan danced and sang on the show from 1964 to the show’s finale in 1982.

Besides his solo number on the show, he teamed up with Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel in performing popular dance routines.

After the Lawrence Welk Show finale in 1982, Duncan has appeared in several television shows such as Diagnosis Murder, Columbo, The Betty White Show and many more. He also appeared with Red Skelton, Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines, Jerry Lewis, Dick Van Dyke, Tommy Tune, Lionel Hampton and much more.

He was featured in the Challenge scene in the 1989 movie TAP with Harold Nicholas, Jimmy Slyde, Steve Condos, Bunny Briggs, Sandman Sims, Pat Rico, Henry LeTang On Piano, Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.

He continues to be a major force as a Tap Master on the Tap Festival scene Nationally and Internationally, among an enormous busy schedule.

Duncan has received the 2004 Flo-Bert Award of Lifetime Achievement of Tap Artistry, in New York City, and the 2005 Living Treasure in American Dance Award from the Oklahoma City University and an honorary doctorate was presented to him in Spring 2008. Also receiving the Gregory Hines Humanitarian Award from the Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation for his work with the Inner City Kids’ Non-Profit Dance Program.

The clip is from the 1965 Lawrence Welk Show, with Duncan tap dancing on the piano to Cute played by Doug Scherer!!!

[Daily Post] Willie Bryant HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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To all dancers, dance enthusiasts and tap dancers, please join us in celebrating  the Birthday of Willie Bryant today 08/30/1908. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in Chicago

Willie is best known as Leonard Reed’s partner in creating the Shim Sham Shimmy. Willie started dancing with the Whitman’s Sisters Black Vaudeville in 1926 where he met Reed, teamed up and formed a partnership Reed & Bryant – Brains as well as Feet. He also worked in various vaudeville productions for the next several years, and in 1934 he appeared in the show Chocolate Revue with Bessie Smith.

In about 1928, Reed and Bryant devised a new finale for their eight-minute show, a step of simple heel-and-toe combinations danced to four eight-bar choruses. Reed and Bryant originally called it Goofus, but it became known  as the Shim Sham after the Shim Sham Club of Harlem, a club where they regularly appeared. Its simplicity, and suitability as a line dance, especially with the newly popular swing music, meant that it was quickly picked up by club-goers. It has endured ever since.

In 1934, after breaking up with Reed, he put together his first big band, which at times included Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, Johnny Russell, Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Eddie Durham, Ram Ramirez, and Taft Jordan. They recorded six times between 1935 and 1938; Bryant sings on 18 of the 26 sides recorded.

Once his ensemble disbanded, Bryant worked in acting and disc jockeying. He recorded R and B in 1945 and led another big band between 1946 and 1948. During September and October 1949, he hosted Uptown Jubilee, a short-lived all-black variety show on CBS-TV .

He moved to California in the later part of the 1950s and died of a heart attack in Los Angeles in 1964.

Willie was a tap dancer, jazz bandleader, vocalist, and disc jockey, and the emcee at the Apollo Theatre during the 1950’s, You can catch him in the feature film Rock ‘N’ Roll Review 1955.

Even nowadays many various tap and non-tap versions are an integral part of big shows. The Shim Sham is well known as the tap dancers anthem.

[Daily Post] Arthur Duncan, Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel

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Arthur Duncan was born in Pasadena, California, where he started his college education in the study of pharmacy, but left school soon after to pursue a career in show business, at which he garnered success as a tap dancer and singer.

He toured with the Jimmy Rodgers Show. After several years of appearances in Europe, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk’s personal manager, Sam Lutz. After appearing as a guest on the show, Lawrence Welk offered Duncan a permanent spot as a member of his musical family.

Arthur Duncan gained fame as the first African American performer on the popular Lawrence Welk Show. Duncan danced and sang on the show from 1964 to the show’s finale in 1982.

Besides his solo number on the show, he teamed up with Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel in performing popular dance routines. Check the Clip.