Arthur Duncan

For other people named Arthur Duncan, see Arthur Duncan (disambiguation).
Arthur Duncan
Occupation Tap dancer, entertainer

Arthur Duncan (born September 25, 1933 in Pasadena, California)[1] is a tap dancer, known for his stint as a performer on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1964 to 1982, which made him the first African-American regular on a variety television program.[2]

Duncan's first experience in show business was at age 13, when he was a member of a dance quartet that performed at McKinley Junior High School in Pasadena, California.[3]

He later entered Pasadena City College to study pharmacy, but left to pursue a career in show business, touring with the Jimmy Rodgers Show, and hosting his own television variety show in Australia. After several years of appearances in Europe, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk's personal manager Sam Lutz, and after appearing as a guest on the show, Lawrence Welk offered Duncan a permanent spot as a member of his "musical family."

The 1989 film Tap featured Duncan in a cameo appearance with other famous tap dancers.[4]

In 2004 Duncan was honored at the annual "Tap Extravaganza" in New York City.[2]

References

  1. ↑ www.worldbiography.net
  2. 1 2 Seibert, Brian (2004-05-30). "DANCE: THIS WEEK; All the Tap Dancers in New York". The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  3. ↑ "Arthur Duncan, dancer on Welk show, will be here". Columbus Daily Telegram. Columbus, Nebraska. 1965-07-23. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  4. ↑ Holden, Stephen (1988-07-06). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. Retrieved 2007-11-09.


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