Bill Robinson on the Fleischmann-Valee Radio Show Robinson, Bill "Bojangles" performer Radio 1935-09-11 (Specific date of broadcast not given, somewhere around 9/11/1935) "In the old days, when dancers danced mostly with their feet, the judges of buck and wing contests would sit underneath the stage and reach their decision by ear. In the manner the award was made for technical and rhythmic merit, with the dancer unseen and no personality tricks counting. "Catching Bill Robinson dancing over radio is much like sitting under the stage. He's heard but not seen. Yet the hearing is as good as the seeing when Robinson is on the hoof. There is no such thing as a misstep with Bojangles. His taps are clear, concise, perfectly in accord with the music. The mental picture to be drawn from the sound completes the vision of a dancer with complete control over his extremities. Robinson on the Fleischmann-Vallee show was a decided novelty for that program and for the air. There have been dancers on before, notably Fred Astaire, but his singing probably counts as much as his stepping on radio. with Robinson it's strictly dancing. "As a one-shot player on the variety program, Robinson clicked as as a refreshing departure. His value as a permanent entertainer for pre-television is open to argument. He entertained, though unseen, on the Fleischmann show. If some means for presenting this type of dancing as a weekly stint, while avoiding sameness, can be found, then Robinson is a possibility for commercial air usage." Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Sampson, Henry T.: Swingin' On the Etherwaves: A Chronological History of African Americans in Radio and Television Broadcasting, 1925-1955. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press (2005). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (biography) loc.music.tdabio.154 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.1386