Fayard Nicholas, 1914- January 26, 2006

Fayard Nicholas has passed away at the age of 91, the last of the Nicholas Brothers. His brother Harold died in 2000.
They were billed as "The Show Stoppers!" with an exclamation point at the Cotton Club in 1932, and that is not hyperbole but simple fact. If you have never seen them-- the "Jumpin' Jive" routine in "Stormy Weather" is a good place to start-- put it on your list of things to do at least once in your life. You will gasp without finding words to describe your wonder. Their dance is graceful and explosive at the same time, a celebration of the body's... I give up, I can't describe it either. They described it themselves as "classical tap". They were the best that ever was.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for taking note of the passing of the last of the Nicholas Brothers. I didn't hear about it elsewhere. That's definitely an era gone. --Pat