Imgres

Bill Robinson/Tap

By hey_nev1

  • Birth

    Birth
    Born in Richmond, Virginia
    Name was originally Luther Robinson

  • Career Start

    Career Start
    Bojangles started his dance career by performing at local beer gardens

  • Name

    Name
    Used physical force to make his brother switch names with him, becoming Bill instead of Luther.
    His brother in turn, took the name of Percy and became a drummer.

  • Run Away

    Run Away
    Bill ran away to Washington, D.C. where he worked briefly as a jockey

  • Continuing his career

    Continuing his career
    Joined Mayme Remington's touring troupe, performing in The South Before the War

  • Spanish-American War

    Spanish-American War
    Returned to Richmond to join an army unit as a drummer when the Spanish-American war broke out, where he received an accidental gunshot wound due to someone who was cleaning their gun

  • Buck and Wing Dance Contest

    Buck and Wing Dance Contest
    Entered the dance contest at the Bijou Theater in Brooklyn, NY winning a gold medal and defeating Harry Swinton, who was considered the best dancer of his day

  • Travelling

    Travelling
    Bojangles worked with George Cooper as a vaudeville team, replacing Cooper's partner on short notice

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    Got married to Lena Chase

  • Met his manager

    Met his manager
    He met Marty Forkins, who urged him to develop his solo act at nightclubs

  • Vaudeville Act

    Vaudeville Act
    Robinson was a full partner in the duo, which had become primarily a tap dancing act

  • Break from dancing

    Break from dancing
    Served as rifleman in World War I

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    Second marriage was to Fannie S. Clay, who was his manager and helped him found Negro Actors Guild of America

  • Broadway

    Broadway
    Starred in Blackbirds of 1928, which features his famous "stair dance"; this show was his big breakthrough

  • Early life

    Early life
    Earned the nickname "Bojangles" for his contentious tendacies

  • Debut Film

    Debut Film
    Made his debut film, Dixiana

  • Movie fame with Shirley Temple

    Movie fame with Shirley Temple
    Performed The Little Colonel and The Littlest Rebel with Shirley Temple

  • Last film with Shirley Temple

    Last film with Shirley Temple
    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm was the last film he was in with Shirley

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    his third and final marriage was to Elaine Plaines, whom he was with until his death

  • Death

    Death
    Died in New York City
    He died poor because most of his money went to charities before he died from heart failure

  • References

    References
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Robinson
    http://www.biography.com/people/bill-bojangles-robinson-9460594#early-life
    http://black-face.com/Bill-Bojangles-Robinson.htm
    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0732408/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
    Google Images
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bill-bojangles-robinson/