Arthur Duncan

At 90 years old, Arthur Duncan physical status not available right now. We will update Arthur Duncan's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Arthur Duncan took dance lessons with Willie Covan and Nick Castle. The dancer claims that Castle had a bigger influence on him and his musicality. While Duncan could be counted on for a consistent solid rhythm and big finish, he rarely repeated himself and “was not a relaxed dancer.” In fact, “his forearms tended to swing stiffly from the elbow.”

In terms of expression, he aimed to “please old-timers.” The stress of doing so caused the look on his face to be strained, “wavering between smarmy and scared, the smile of a man concerned about the pistol sticking into his back.” Many African American performers often felt as though they needed to smile wide for white audiences, and it is clear that Duncan, no matter his popularity, was not exempt from that.

Before his debut on The Betty White Show, Arthur Duncan toured with the Jimmie Rodgers Show and danced in Europe for several years, including London, Paris, Cairo, Beirut, and Switzerland.

In 1954, Duncan first appeared on The Betty White Show and quickly became a regular performer. However, when Betty White's show reached a national audience, television stations in the Jim Crow South threatened a boycott if Duncan remained on the show. White refused to fire him, saying "I’m sorry, but, you know, he stays. Live with it" and giving Duncan more airtime. Unfortunately, in retaliation, her show was canceled later that year.

In 2018, Duncan had the opportunity to reunite with Betty White on Steve Harvey’s show Little Big Shots: Forever Young where he revealed he was not aware of the controversy at the time of its occurrence. There, he credited White to his success and starting his career.

In 1957, Duncan joined Bob Hope's troupe touring U.S. military bases as a part of the United Service Organization (USO), making him the first African American to be part of that 100-member group. The tour entertained U.S. troops during the Cold War and Vietnam War, providing a moment of relief for those on the battlefront. The tap dancer said it was “the best thing I could have done to help my country.”

After his time on The Betty White Show and with USO, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk's personal manager Sam Lutz. He first appeared on the show as a guest in 1964 and shortly after was offered a permanent spot as a member of Welk's "musical family."

Several years after joining The Lawrence Welk Show, Arthur Duncan sang and danced a blend of old and new routines at the International Frolics in L.A. in 1967. This event took place in the Creole Lounge of the Hacienda International Hotel.

He also kicked off the opening of the new Richmond office of Home Savings and Loan Association on May 3, 1979 in California. Duncan appeared alongside seven others of “TV’s greatest entertainers” in a “salute to the ‘golden days of television.’” The seven others consisted of Dennis Day, Alan Hale Jr., David Nelson, Peggy Lennon, and Barbara Hale and her husband, Bill Williams.

In the 1980s, Duncan danced at multiple venues alongside other famous tap dancers. On May 13, 1982, he appeared with the Hoofers Club on the show “Two on the Town.” In 1988, he was featured in “An Evening of Tap” at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. Declared a “tap dancer’s summit,” the event’s jazz tap performance included Steve Condos, Howard Sandman Sims, Savion Glover, Bunny Briggs, Jimmy Slyde, and Gregory Hines. Arthur Duncan danced with Gregory Hines a second time that year on September 18th at Carnegie Hall.

Duncan even starred in a musical on top of his many performances. In 1988, around March 10 through 13, he played Mr. Magix in the Long Beach Civic Light Opera’s “My One and Only,” a musical parody that first opened on Broadway in 1983 and won three Tony Awards. A year later, our tap dancer performed at San Francisco’s Kimball’s East alongside Robert L. Reed. The event also featured Brenda Bufalino, Fred Moritel, Rusty Frank, and Savion Glover.

Arthur Duncan’s career was not diminished in the turn of the century. In 2004, he danced at the second annual Los Angeles Tap Festival. He continued to dance in the festival every year until 2008.

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