Arthur Duncan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arthur Duncan (born September 25, 1933, in Pasadena, California) is an American tap dancer, most known for his stint as a performer on The Lawrence Welk Show. He was the only African-American regular on the long-running series until Paul Humphrey joined the series in 1976 and they both stayed until the program ended in 1982.
He first took an interest in performing as a newsboy on the street corners of Pasadena, he would sing the popular songs of the day and collect coins tossed his way. Taking a six-month sabbatical from Pasadena City College where he was studying to be a pharmacist, Duncan wanted to, as he said, "see what this show business was all about." He never returned to college, succeeding far beyond his expectations in night club bookings, local and national television appearances.
Duncan toured with the Jimmy Rodgers show and starred in his own variety television show in Australia. Then followed five years of appearances in clubs in London, Paris, Cairo, Beirut and three years in the winter and summer resorts of Switzerland. Upon his return from Europe, he appeared at the Basin Street West in Los Angeles with Lionel Hampton and was spotted by Sam Lutz, Lawrence Welk's personal manager. He then appeared as a guest on the Welk program. His guest appearances on the show drew such an overwhelming response that in 1964, the Champagne Maestro signed Duncan as a regular.
While best-known as a song-and-dance man, Duncan also branched out into acting, appearing in movies such as Tap with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr, and on television shows such as Diagnosis Murder with Dick Van Dyke, and stage such as the National Tour of My One And Only with Tommy Tune.
As a performer, Duncan was the recipient of numerous awards, such as the 2004 Flo-Bert Award for Lifetime Achievement of Tap Artistry in New York City, and the 2005 Living Treasure in American Dance Award from Oklahoma City University. Today, he continues to dance at tap dance festivals and teaches the art of tap to up-and-coming students.
