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Sportin' Life tells for the first time the full, dramatic story of one of America's great song-and-dance men. A groundbreaking tap dancer who provided inspiration to the likes of Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, and the Nicholas Brothers, John W. Bubbles is the epitome of "a highly influential but mostly forgotten" figure.
List of contents
- Timeline
- Introduction
- Part I: Prodigy (1903-1920)
- Chapter 1: Words to Live By
- Chapter 2: The Soul of Minstrelsy
- Chapter 3: Buck and Bubbles
- Part II: Innovator (1920-1931)
- Chapter 4: A Find of Finds
- Chapter 5: Reinvention
- Chapter 6: Beautiful Days
- Chapter 7: Dancing in the Dark
- Chapter 8: Alone
- Chapter 9: Dreams Fulfilled
- Part III: Master (1931-1953)
- Chapter 10: Jazz, Jazz, Jazz
- Chapter 11: A Miracle of Racy Brilliance
- Chapter 12: Swing Is King
- Chapter 13: Black Bizet
- Chapter 14: Requiem for a Two-Act
- Part IV: Survivor (1953-1986)
- Chapter 15: Exile
- Chapter 16: Turn Back the Universe
- Chapter 17: Bubbles Bounces Back!
- Chapter 18: This Unforgettable Passage
- Chapter 19: A World of Mirth
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Works Cited
- Index
About the author
Brian Harker is Professor of Music at Brigham Young University. He has twice won the Irving Lowens Award for best article on American music. He is the author of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings and Jazz: An American Journey. He lives with his wife in Orem, Utah.
Summary
Sportin' Life tells for the first time the full, dramatic story of one of America's great song-and-dance men. A groundbreaking tap dancer who provided inspiration to the likes of Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, and the Nicholas Brothers, John W. Bubbles is the epitome of "a highly influential but mostly forgotten" figure.
Additional text
Sportin' Life: John W. Bubbles, an American Classic is the engaging, comprehensive story of one of the most important figures in tap dance history.
