Bill+Bojangles+Robinson

 Bill Luther "Bojangles" Robinson was born on May 25, 1878 in Richmond, Virginia. He died November 15, 1949 in New York, New York. Bill often got into fights as a child. Bill and his brothers became orphans in 1885 and their grandmother became their guardian. In 1890, he ran away to Washington D.C to sing and dance. While he was in D.C, he got his first job which was shoe shining. Then he got a job with the "pickaninny" chorus. In 1907 he met and married Lena Chase. Lena divorced Bill because of his gambling and drinking problems. After they got divorced Bill moved to New York, New York. On March 21, 1908, he got arrested for armed robbery. A couple weeks later he challenged Harry Swinton to a dance-off and Bill won. While he was in New York he joined a Broadway group called the //Blackbirds//. They really made Broadway plays popular. Bill had a signature dance move called the “camel walk” (later called the “moon walk”) and also the “stair dance”. While he was a dancer, he went through 20-30 of dance shoes a year. Every year on his birthday, he would dance one block on Broadway. The Mayor of Harlem, Fiorella LaGuardia named Bill the “Mayor of Harlem.” In every June in Richmond, Virginia they would have a Bill Robinson Day. In 1922, he married Fanny Clay. He divorced her 21 years later and married Elaine Plaines in 1944. On April 24, 1948, he suffered his first heart attack and eleven months later he suffered his second heart attack. Then 8 months later he passed. The Broadway plays and films that brought him the most fame with child star, Shirley Temple: //The Littlest Colonel//, //The Littlest Rebel//, //Just Around the Corner, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,// and //Stormy Weather.//

Hill, Constance. “Luther Robinson.” //Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History.// Gale, 2006. //Gale of Biography in Context.//

Unknown Author. “Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson.” //Contemporary Black Biography.// Gale, 2007. //Gale Biography in Context.//

Johns, Robert L. //Notable Black American Men.// Gale Research Inc: Gale Research Inc, 1999. [|bill robinson dancing] //CDW-//2

Bill “bojangles” robinson On may ,25 ,1878 in the small town of richmond ,virginia bill “bojangles” robinson Was born. Afew years later, he ran away to D.C earning nickles and dimes on the streets.Looking for more oppertunity, he left D.C. to go to new york and he joined the pickaninnyChorus. Then he chalenged harry swanson to a buck dancing contest and won.then he was in a all african -amrican brodway production of “blackbird” in 1928. Then he was a forming member of N.A.G of america. Later in his life he was made a honorary mayor of harlem by mayor of new york firoello laguardia and stared in many movies with sherly temple and involved ramdomly braking out into dance.once he divorced fannie clay he marryed elaine planes another actor and dancer. On november 15,1949 he died in new york, new york

  Unknownarthor,lutherrobinson,encylopdiaofafricanamericancultureandhistory:gale2006 bill robinson music