- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJohn William Sublett
- Height1.83 m
- John W. Bubbles was born on February 19, 1902 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Si bémol et fa dièse (1948), Mantan Messes Up (1946) and Varsity Show (1937). He was married to Ruth R. Campbell, Mabel Cordelia (Atwell) Roane, Viola Jones and Wanda Michael. He died on May 18, 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpousesRuth R. Campbell(June 6, 1967 - ?) (divorced)Mabel Cordelia (Atwell) Roane(May 26, 1948 - 1956) (divorced)Viola Jones(1927 - 1947) (divorced)Wanda Michael(? - May 18, 1986) (his death)
- Gave tap lessons to Fred Astaire, and coached Astaire for his "Bojangles of Harlem" performance in the film Swing Time.
- Inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2002 (inaugural class).
- Known as the "Father of Rhythm Tap," he was the first tapper to drop his heels, adding complex rhythms and syncopations.
- He could not read music; composer George Gershwin had to teach him the music for the role of Sportin' Life in "Porgy and Bess" note by note.
- Although he appeared in the original production, John "Bubbles" Sublett did not sing the role of Sportin' Life in the so-called "original cast album" of "Porgy and Bess", made in 1940. He was replaced on that 78-RPM album by Avon Long, who then went on to sing the role in both the 1942 Broadway revival of "Porgy and Bess", and in the first 3-LP recording of the work, made in 1951, the most complete version recorded up to that time. Sublett finally recorded his two big songs from "Porgy and Bess" on the 1963 hi-fi/stereo LP of excerpts from the opera, starring Leontyne Price and William Warfield.
- Asked who was the best tap dancer, "You're looking at him."
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content