Leroy Daniels was a shoeshine man who sang and danced as he worked, and whose act led to an appearance with Fred Astaire in the 1953 musical The Band Wagon.[1] It was the only time that Astaire danced on-screen with a black dancer.[2]
Daniels' act also served as inspiration for the choreography of the scene in the film.[3]
His performances became the inspiration for the song, Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy, which in 1950 became a #1 hit for Country music singer Red Foley.[4]
He was part of the comedy duo Leroy & Skillet with Ernest Mayhand, who appeared with him on Sanford and Son.[5] The duo recorded several albums such as The Okra Eaters for Laff Records in the 1970s, notable for their explicit, raunchy comedy.[6]
^Knowles, Mark (2013). The Man Who Made the Jailhouse Rock – Alex Romero, Hollywood Choreographer. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. pp. 83, 182, 183. ISBN9781476603681.
^Baldwin, Kate (2015). The Racial Imaginary of the Cold War Kitchen: From Sokol'niki Park to Chicago's South Side. Dartmouth College Press. p. 225. ISBN9781611688641.