Happy Birthday John W. (Bubbles) Sublett 1902-1986...Vaudeville performer, dancer, singer and entertainer, Sublett was the father of rhythm tap dancing and was responsible for spreading it's popularity on stage and screen. Sublett's style was percussive and played with the traditional eight-bar phrase, slowing it down to allow for more rhythmic freedom and merging his dancing with the improvisational sound of jazz.
He was singing onstage at the age of 7, later teaming up with Ford "Buck" Lee Washington to become Buck and Bubbles. The two danced together for four decades appearing in the Zeigfeld Follies of 1931, Broadway revues, were the first African-American artists to perform at Radio City Music Hall, made films and made the first African-American appearance on rudimentary televison in 1936.
Sublett also starred as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess in 1935 and would continue to perform it for the next two decades. He taught Fred Astaire his tap style and Astaire's number "Bojangles in Harlem" was really a tribute to Sublett who was a consultant on the choreography. He toured with USO shows in the 50s and 60s and appeared on talk and variety shows on television. He retired from performing after a stroke in 1967. Micheal Jackson was a great admirer of Sublett, studying his steps for inspiration and naming his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, after him. Sublett's catchphrase, "Shoot the liquor to me john boy" was used by many musicians as a warm tribute.
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