April 2, 1911 Charles “Honi” Coles, tap dancer and actor, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Coles developed his high-speed rhythm tapping on the streets of his hometown. In 1940, while dancing with the Cab Calloway band, he teamed with Charles “Cholly” Atkins to form Coles & Atkins. Their partnership lasted 19 years. Coles made his [...]
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November 25th in African American History – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
November 25, 1949 Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, tap dancer and stage and film actor, died. Robinson was born May 25, 1878 in Richmond, Virginia. He began to dance for a living at the age of six. Robinson served in the United States Army from 1898 to 1900. He gained success and fame on the black theater [...]
September 19th in African American History – Earl Cyril Palmer
September 19, 2008 Earl Cyril Palmer, hall of fame drummer, died. Palmer was born October 25, 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started his entertainment career at the age of five as a tap dancer on the black vaudeville circuit. He toured the country extensively with the Darktown Scandals Review. Palmer served in Europe for [...]