The Clark Brothers (tap dancers)
Encyclopedia
The Clark Brothers, Steve Clark and his brother, Jimmy, were thought to be the last of the "brothers" acts of tap-dancing's golden age. Jimmy Clark died in October 2009.
in Harlem
- when they were 15 and 17. Frank Sinatra
told them to move to Britain after the war, which probably saved their careers.
The Clark Brothers gave their first British performance for King George VI and became favourites in working men's clubs. They wrote hits for Max Bygraves
and appeared at the London Palladium
; and they opened a "University of Showbusiness" in London, where Cliff Richard
and Bonnie Langford
were among their pupils.
James Clark (Jimmy) died on 30 October 2009 aged 87. He and his brother Steve lived together in Dunstable.
Jimmy's funeral took place on 17 November at St Peter's Priory Dunstable.
Biography
The gospel-singing Clark Family grew up in poverty in Philadelphia. By the age of 12 Steve, the youngest, was a seasoned soloist, singing and dancing. The two brothers' first engagement was at the Cotton ClubCotton Club
The Cotton Club was a famous night club in Harlem, New York City that operated during Prohibition that included jazz music. While the club featured many of the greatest African American entertainers of the era, such as Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Adelaide Hall, Count Basie, Bessie Smith,...
in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
- when they were 15 and 17. Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
told them to move to Britain after the war, which probably saved their careers.
The Clark Brothers gave their first British performance for King George VI and became favourites in working men's clubs. They wrote hits for Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves OBE is an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs...
and appeared at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
; and they opened a "University of Showbusiness" in London, where Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
and Bonnie Langford
Bonnie Langford
Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress, dancer and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan:...
were among their pupils.
James Clark (Jimmy) died on 30 October 2009 aged 87. He and his brother Steve lived together in Dunstable.
Jimmy's funeral took place on 17 November at St Peter's Priory Dunstable.
Film/TV appearances
- Sez LesSez LesSez Les was a British comedy sketch show that starred Les Dawson. It was produced by Yorkshire Television and aired on ITV from 1969 to 1976. The show also starred Roy Barraclough from series Four - who would go on to become Dawson's most recognisable sidekick. The two most notably appeared...
(1973) - Saturday Variety (1972)
- Sunday Night at the London PalladiumSunday Night at the London PalladiumSunday Night at the London Palladium is a British television variety show produced by ATV for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974...
(1967) - Blackpool Night Out (1965)
- The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
(1965) - The Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show stars many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou...
(1952–1955) - The George Jessel Show (1954)
- Killer DillerKiller Diller (1948 film)Killer Diller is a 1948 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Josh Binney and released by All American.The movie features The Clark Brothers , Nat King Cole, Moms Mabley, Dusty Fletcher, Butterfly McQueen, the Andy Kirk Orchestra and the Four Congaroos .-Plot summary:Dusty Fletcher plays a...
(1948)
External links
- The Clark Brothers at the Apollo TheatreApollo TheatreThe Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
(from YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
) - 2008 interview with Steve Clark (from YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
)