Scatman Crothers Really Knew How to Scat

He was a self-taught musician, teaching himself to play drums, guitar and ukulele. But he wasn't born with the name Scatman.

He was born Benjamin Sherman Crothers in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1910. His father was a cobbler and owned a second-hand clothing store.

By the age of fourteen, Crothers was teaching himself to play drums and guitar and learning the art of "scat" singing, a style popularized by Louis Armstrong.

His first job as an entertainer was at a local speakeasy frequented by Chicago mobsters. He wasn't paid a salary but tips were very lucrative.

Crothers and brother, Louis, went to Indianapolis where they hoped to work in entertainment. Crothers ended up cleaning and blocking hats instead. Keeping his eye on his dreams, Crothers took an opportunity with a traveling band called Montague's Kentucky Serenaders.

After traveling with the Serenaders for some time, Crothers went to Dayton, Ohio on the suggestion of some friends who felt he could find work there.

Crothers approached local radio station KSMK for an on-air audition. The program director liked Crothers, but felt his name wasn't suitable for radio work. On the spot, Crothers unofficially changed his name to "Scatman" and retained the name throughout the remainder of his life.

Crothers steadily played solo acts in jazz clubs and other night spots as well as playing in bands, making himself a decent living.

During his travels, he met wife Helen Sullivan in Canton, Ohio. A white woman from Steubenville, they married in 1937 and remained together for the rest of their lives. They had one daughter, Donna.

The two moved to Hollywood in the mid-forties where Crothers continued playing as a solo act or as leader of his own small band.

Experiencing a slow period in the forties, Crothers signed on with the Slim Gaillard Trio which helped him establish connections in the Los Angeles music scene. He was introduced to Phil Harris, a star in radio and frequent guest on Jack Benny's program. The two being from Indiana, they formed a fast friendship and Harris introduced Crothers on his radio show. They also recorded a song together, "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy."

When television was born, so was a new career for Crothers. He landed a spot on "Dixie Showboat" which made him the first African-American to appear on television in Los Angeles. After four years on that show, he joined Donald O'Connor on the Colgate Comedy show.

The next natural step was film. Crothers continued playing the nightclub circuit in Los Angeles. He ran into actor Dan Dailey one evening at The Oasis. Dailey offered Crothers a part in his film "Meet Me At the Fair" (1952).

After that, there was no shortage of work for the multi-talented Crothers. He appeared on The Jack Benny Show and The Steve Allen Show. These, and other appearances, led to bigger and better club bookings. Crothers also continued recording hits such as "Walkin' My Baby Back Home."

In the sixties, Crothers was cast in a Jerry Lewis comedy, "The Patsy" (1964) as a shoeshine boy. The friendship formed between Crothers and Lewis led to parts in two other Lewis capers, "The Family Jewels" (1965) and "Three on a Couch" (1966).

In (1970), Crothers provided the voice of Scat Cat in Disney's "The Aristocats." The seventies turned out to be a very good decade for Crothers. Not only was he provided voices for animation - like Meadowlark Lemon in The Harlem Globetrotters cartoon, Jazz the Autobot in Transformers and the title character in Hong Kong Phooey - he was also making appearances on shows like Sanford and Son, Mannix, McMillan, and Wife and The Odd Couple.

But one of his most notable performances was that of Louie the Garbage Man in Chico and the Man.

His television appearances breathed new life into his film career. He teamed up with Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975). In 1980, the two teamed up again for one of Crothers' most memorable roles, that of Dick Hallorann in "The Shining."

The eighties began well for Crothers. He was cast in "Bronco Billy" (1980), "Zapped" (1982) and "Twilight Zone: The Movie" (1983).

But in 1985, Crothers was diagnosed with a malignant tumor behind his left lung. Although Crothers tried to continue working through his illness, the tumor spread to his esophagus.

The legendary Scatman Crothers passed away in November 1986.

Scatman Crothers has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6710 Hollywood Blvd.

Sources:

Hollywood Walk of Fame
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