Published on December 31, 2021 05:48 PM. The pioneering entertainer enjoyed a dazzling career that kept him dancing for decades. Arthur Duncan, Talented Tap Dancer Who Broke Barriers, Dies at 97 pos: 'right_rail_1', Generation. Arthur Duncan, a gifted dancer whose appearance on one of Betty White's early TV shows prompted a showdown between southern censors and White, died January 4. Tap dancer Arthur Duncan, left, prepares for his final performance at age 96 in June in Chicago with help from his stepson Sean Carbone. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-2', "[27] Unfortunately, this confined him and his dance moves, not allowing him to experiment, which is a key element of tap dancing. "[16], After his time on The Betty White Show and with USO, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk's personal manager Sam Lutz. As young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of this generation felt it was dangerous to speak out. Born on Sept. 25, 1933, in Pasadena, California, Arthur Duncan gravitated to the life of a performer from a very young age. --appeared as a guest on the Lawrence Welk show. INFORMATION Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 88 years old? Television, Movie. In 2023, Arthur Duncans personal year number is 5, the year of freedom. He preferred to marvel at his good fortune, credit all who helped him and emphasize tenacity and hard work. Cookie Policy Go home and count the two dollars I had in my pocket, he recalled. Live with it. Once more details are available on who he is dating, we will update this section. Despite these early challenges, Duncan remained on the series from 1964 to 1982. White who became a lifelong friend and later starred in The Golden Girls pointedly refused demands from Southern affiliates to have Duncan removed from her show. Arthur Seymour Duncan (1894 - 1918) - Biography and Family Tree Thats how it works.. Arthur Duncan of Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada was born on March 8, 1927. On the weekly Welk show, Arthur Duncan usually had one solo tap dancing performance, accompanied by the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. He is from USA. [14], In 1957, Duncan joined Bob Hope's troupe touring U.S. military bases as a part of the United Service Organization (USO), making him the first African American to be part of that 100-member group. Please check back soon for updates. "[26] In fact, Duncan was the first Black person to be a regular on a variety show. These celebs weren't afraid to show some PDA. As . He took lessons with Nick Castle, an esteemed Hollywood tap dancer and choreographer, and began traveling abroad, dancing on stages in Australia, London, Paris and Cairo, among other locations. About the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame: Biographies, American Tap Dance Foundation, accessed April 27, 2022. Duncan elected to overlook racial slights. Duncan was born on Sept. 25, 1925, in Pasadena, the sixth of 13 children to Corabel LaMar and James Alfred Ernest Duncan, who worked as a merchant seaman before settling in Southern California, according to family members and Duncan himself during an interview in August. Arthur Duncan, Barrier-Breaking Tap Dancer, Is Dead at 97 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. Your Privacy Rights He recently retired Deadline L.A., a past honoree for best public-affairs radio program, which he produced and co-hosted on KPFK-FM (90.7) for 15 years. After the end of the Lawrence Welk Show in 1982, Duncan appeared in several television shows, and in the tap dancing movie Tap, with famous tap dancers Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. Arthur Duncan, who kept virtuoso tap dancing alive on Lawrence Welk Show, dies- LA Times. Upon his death, it was revealed that Duncan was in fact born in 1925. Arthur Duncan Obituary (2023) - St. Petersburg, Florida - Tampa Bay Times tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Arthur Duncan took dance lessons with Willie Covan and Nick Castle. Subscribe to Newsletter Despite the Great Depression, Hollywood and popular film production flourished. Lawrence had a uniqueness about him, Mr. Duncan once told OETA, the Oklahoma public television network, in an interview. The 89-year-old American dancer has done well thus far. His education: Pasadena City College. The education details are not available at this time. Arthur H. Duncan, 82, of Portersville died unexpectedly on Saturday at the Jameson Memorial Hospital, New Castle. Arthur was deceptively energetic, Mr. Smith said in a phone interview. ARTHUR DUNCAN OBITUARY Arthur Duncan was a tap dancer and singer known for his regular appearances on "The Betty White Show" and "The Lawrence Welk Show." We invite you to share condolences. Outlander 10 Facts About Geillis From The Books The Show Leaves Out } While we don't know Arthur Duncan birth time, but we do know his mother gave birth to his on a Monday. Tap dancer Arthur Duncan early in his career. Tap dancer Arthur Duncan performs with Disney characters in this undated photo. [34] In 2006, he was honored at the 15th Annual St. Louis Tap Festival for his "lifetime contribution to the art of tap dance", earning a tribute. Duncan is most famously known for his time on The Lawrence Welk Show, on which he appeared as a regular from 1964 until 1982. Duncan honed his skills as big bands which often hired tappers made way for rock bands, and jazz players who often made their rhythmic inventions alongside hoofers moved to smaller venues and more experimental musical forms for which tap dancers need not apply. } In 2003, Duncan was featured on the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, where he represented "the eldest of three generations of tap". Mr. Duncan performed in the 1989 film Tap with Mr. Hines, Mr. Davis, Harold Nicholas and Howard (Sandman) Sims, and in the short film Tap Heat (2004), a story told in dance steps, without words, in which Mr. Duncan, then in his late 70s, and the young tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith challenge each other. But other dancers know hes great and for a while he was the only one keeping tap in the public eye., By the late 1980s, Mr. Duncan had been a professional dancer and singer for more than 40 years. On most episodes, Duncan also teamed up with fellow dancers Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel to perform popular dance numbers. Arthur Duncan. He was 97. He knew what he wanted, and he served it up.. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. He initially resisted, but they insisted he give it a try. [5] He later entered Pasadena City College to study pharmacy,[6] but left to pursue a career in show business. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', [34] Some years later, the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. [2] It especially helped that he was featured weekly as a regular. Arthur Duncan's net worth div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', Duncan was inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2020. Survived by his wife, a step-son Sean Carbone, two step-grandchildren, two sisters, Mabel Duncan, and Eleanor Starr, and a brother, Michael. "Hoofers Club Appears on Popular TV show.". Most biographies during his lifetime had used the birth year of 1933, a mistake which he never corrected, owing to the fact that "he never wanted to discuss anything personal," according to his wife. Duncan McArthur (deceased) - Genealogy Betty White Made History With Arthur Duncan, He Did It Twice More DUNCAN - A private service for Arthur Daniel Duncan, who died Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, will be held for the family in Mountville Cemetery. The 89-year-old dancer was born in Pasadena. His survivors include his wife, stepson Sean Carbone and siblings Michael Duncan, Mabel Duncan and Eleanor Starr. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-2', Arthur Duncan in an undated photo. However, Albert was very active in the film world and soon chose to leave the show to film the classicRoman Holiday. Arthur Duncan is revered, celebrated and honored, not only for his amazing performances on the Lawrence Welk show, but for even more in his long and illustrious career.", She went on, "As a World War II veteran, Arthur will receive a military committal service at 1:15 PM on January 25 at Riverside Memorial Veterans Cemetery. BE 100s You could go around to amateur shows and have an opportunity to practice, or hone your talents if you had any, he said. . Arthur Duncan Obituary (1947 - 2021) - Florence, AZ - Butler Eagle Though he tapped alone for the most part, he danced with both Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel on the show. subcat: '', As the world mourns actress and comedienneBetty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, many are discovering or being reminded of the way she broke TV barriers with tap dancerArthur Duncan. Thats when the show was renamed after White, and she took over as both host and producer. Live with it.. They're flexible and good at improvising. env: 'prod', targeting: { Arthur Duncan was a tap dancer and singer known for his regular appearances on "The Betty White Show" and "The Lawrence Welk Show." Died: January 4, 2023 ( Who else died on January 4?) The two seemed close to their father James Duncan and one of their sisters, Savaletta D. Arthur Duncan 1914-1993 - Ancestry Terms of Use | The 25 Richest Billionaire Families in America, Ranked - Business Insider --starred in his own variety television show in Australia. [21], The 1989 film Tap featured Duncan in a cameo appearance with other famous tap dancers. Arthur Duncan Dancing to "I'm Walking," with the pretty Welk girls. Duncan was later discovered by big band leaderLawrence Welk who invited him onto his ABC variety show. Last update: 2021-08-26 23:00:04, If you are a model, tiktoker, instagram Influencer or brand marketer, who is looking for Collaborations, then you can join our Facebook Group named "Influencers Meet Brands - in4fp.com". Advertising Notice I said, Im sorry, but, you know, he stays, she said. His varied career included appearances on other television shows, in film and in top theater venues around the world. "The History Guy" is a Registered Trademark. Here we will cover everything about his family. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS --three years in the winter and summer resorts of Switzerland. [29], In 2017, Duncan appeared on the series premiere episode of the reality talent series Little Big Shots: Forever Young, where he performed a dance and reunited with actress Betty White. Arthur Duncan - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous dancer. Sign up here for exclusive access to all your favorite celebrities Arthur Duncans income source is mostly from being a successful Soundtrack. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Arthur Duncan Birth Name: Arthur Duncan Occupation: Dancer Born In: Pasadena Birthdate: September 25, 1933 Age: 89 years old (as of 2023) Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: American Sexuality: N/A Arthur Duncan was born on the 25th of September, 1933. In 2017, White reunited with then 83-year-old tap dancer Arthur Duncan, whom she had helped . Arthur Duncan - Wikipedia Arthur Duncan was born on 25 September, 1933 in Pasadena, California, USA, is a Soundtrack, Actor. He was safe for them and safe for us, said Cunningham, who also is Black and later became Duncans friend. He was really not just a mentor but an idol for us in the tap community.. His spouse is Donna Duncan. Born Aug. 5, 1924, in Castlewood, Lawrence County, he was the son of William L.. Duncan appeared alongside seven others of "TVs greatest entertainers" in a "salute to the 'golden days of television.'" When censors in the South objected to a series with an African-American regular, White's legendary reply was: "He stays. [12], In 1954, Duncan first appeared on The Betty White Show and quickly became a regular performer. In the documentary, Duncan credited White with really getting [him] started in show business. He would go on to build a dazzling career that saw him surmount racial barriers in Hollywood and kept him dancing until his death earlier this month at the age of 97, according to Harrison Smith of the Washington Post. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? And he always focused on the next gig. He teaches tap dancing and has two superior daughters. Live with it.. Before his debut on The Betty White Show, Duncan toured with the Jimmie Rodgers Show and danced in Europe for several years, including London, Paris, Cairo, Beirut, and Switzerland. Arthur Duncan. Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of Steve Harvey 's Little Big Shots: Forever Young. Along the way, Duncan ultimately became an important bridge to generations of tappers, including through master classes, after it had looked as though serious tap might cease to exist, said respected Chicago-based tapper and teacher Reggio The Hoofer McLaughlin. He served as a reminder that tap would always live somewhere, through someones feet, Jason Samuels Smith, a tap dancer, choreographer and director, tells the Post. Constance Valis Hill, Arthur Duncan [biography], Tap Dance in America: A Twentieth-Century Chronology of Tap Performance on Stage, Film, and Media, Library of Congress, accessed May 4, 2022, https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.music.tdabio.43/default.html. In 1988, around March 10 through 13, he played Mr. Magix in the Long Beach Civic Light Opera's "My One and Only" a musical parody that first opened on Broadway in 1983 and won three Tony Awards. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', "On Location." As a youth, Duncan also delivered prescriptions and took some pharmacy classes at Pasadena City College, but his heart wasnt in it. He did not begin dancing until he was in the eighth grade, when friends persuaded him to perform with them at a junior high school event. cat: 'entertainment', Betty White Helped Launch Career of Black Tap Dancer in 1950s - People