Mr Bojangles

Bill Robinson was born in Richmond, Va. in 1878...as a minority meaning a black kid he had a rough life as a kid. He once lived on the street with his little brother after his parents died when he was a young kid. He was raised by his his grandmother. He would make his way through life as Bill Robinson after reportedly convincing his little brother to surrender his first name. His given name Arthur didn't suit him and he reportedly threatened his little brother with violence to get him to trade names. Arthur was an awful name to him apparently. There's a restaurant in Richmond, Va. called "Awful Arthurs" which reminds us--humorously--of the value of a name. Perhaps, they're honoring the funny way Bill Robinson "got" his name.

He learned to dance as a kid...his dancing was portrayed in a movie about "Mr. Bojangles" by Gregory Hines who was a pretty famous tap dancer himself. We know of Bill Robinson outside of Richmond, Va. by the charming song from the 1970's--"Mr. Bojangles" that has been played everywhere in the United States since the early 1970s. The above hyperlink to that song will show you a tap dancer turned singer--Sammy Davis Jr.-- in a memorable performance of the song. It is the best I've ever heard the song performed.

In Richmond, Va where he wa born there was a statue erected to honor Bill Robinson at a site where "Mr. Bojangles" saw kids trying--with great difficulty--to get their errant ball out of the street. Bill Robinson petitioned the city of Richmond to install traffic lights at the intersection where his statue now stands: they did install lights at that dangerous intersection, the corner of West Leigh Street & Adams Street. To honor him in the spot where he showed his humanity and not his amazing dancing talent he is remembered at that traffic intersection in Richmond, Va.

He, of course, had great talent at tap dancing: in the era of "sound" movies he became known to movie goers with Shirley Temple as a dancing and acting personality. In the era of "sound" movies--which began with "The Jazz Singer" in 1927 he performed in more than a dozen of them.

He was honored by Duke Ellington in song, rhythmic variations entitled "Bojangles". He's buried in Brooklyn, NY where he frequently performed. He died in 1949 and his busy feet is what we remember and not his big mouth as we often take note of when observing Hollywood actors today.

Mr Bojangles talked with his feet.