Bobby Short | |
|---|---|
 Short in 2000 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Waltrip Short |
| Born | (1924-09-15)September 15, 1924 Danville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 2005(2005-03-21) (aged 80) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Swing,traditional pop,vocal jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, pianist |
| Labels | Atlantic Records |
Robert Waltrip Short (September 15, 1924 – March 21, 2005)[1] was an Americancabaret singer and pianist who interpreted songs by popular composers from the first half of the 20th century such asRodgers and Hart,Cole Porter,Jerome Kern,Harold Arlen,Richard A. Whiting,Vernon Duke,Noël Coward andGeorge andIra Gershwin.
Short also championed African-American composers of the same period such asEubie Blake,James P. Johnson,Andy Razaf,Fats Waller,Duke Ellington andBilly Strayhorn, presenting their work not in a polemical way, but as simply the obvious equal of that of their white contemporaries.
Short's dedication to his great love – what he called the "Great American Song" – left him equally adept at performing the witty lyrics ofBessie Smith's "Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)" or Gershwin and Duke's "I Can't Get Started". Short stated his favorite songwriters were Ellington, Arlen and Kern, and he was instrumental in spearheading the construction of the Ellington Memorial in New York City. He was a friend ofTom Jobim and was present during the composer's final days in New York City.
Short was born inDanville, Illinois, where two of his school classmates wereDick Van Dyke andDonald O'Connor.[2][better source needed] He began performing piano in dance halls and saloons, and as a busker, after leaving home at age 11 for Chicago with his mother's permission.
Short began his adult musical career in clubs in the 1940s. In 1968 he was offered a two-week stint at theCafé Carlyle in New York City, to fill in forGeorge Feyer. Short (accompanied by Beverly Peer on bass and Dick Sheridan on drums) became an institution at the Carlyle, as Feyer had been before him, and remained there as a featured performer for more than 35 years. He often performed impromptu all-night sets at his various favorite cafes and restaurants. He was a regular patron at Ted Hook's Backstage, at Eighth Avenue and 45th Street.
In 1971 Short publishedBlack and White Baby, a brilliant description of his childhood upbringing in the dance halls and saloons of Chicago and New York, and his family's fight for survival after the death of his father. He followed withBobby Short: The Life and Times of a Saloon Singer in 1995, chronicling his career into the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
Short continued his career in the 1970s and 1980s singing for films and television. In 1972, he performed the theme song toJames Ivory's filmSavages. In 1976, Short sang and appeared in a commercial for Revlon's perfume "Charlie". In 1979 he performed a 25-song set that was released on DVD in 2004 asBobby Short at the Cafe Carlyle. In 1981, he made a cameo appearance onThe Love Boat in a two-part episode. In 1985, he sang part of the opening theme for the NBC television showMisfits of Science. Short continued working in films when, in 1986, he appeared in theWoody Allen filmHannah and Her Sisters. Allen used Short's recording of "I Happen to Like New York" for the opening title ofManhattan Murder Mystery (1993).
In 1991, Short made a guest appearance as blues musician Ches Collins on the TV seriesIn the Heat of the Night in the episode "Sweet, Sweet Blues". He also performed the episode's theme song. He reprised the role in the 1994 episode "Ches and the Grand Lady". In 1993, he made an appearance in theMichael J. Fox comedy filmFor Love or Money, performingMarc Shaiman's song "In Your Eyes". Short's final film role was inMan of the Century (1999).
In 2000, theLibrary of Congress designated Short aLiving Legend, a recognition established as part of its bicentennial celebration. The next year, his voice was featured in the200th episode of the sitcomFrasier. In 2004, Short announced plans to end his regular appearances at the Café Carlyle by the end of the year. He continued to tour and travel until the end of his life.
Bobby Short was inducted as a Laureate ofThe Lincoln Academy of Illinois and in 1983 was awarded the Order of Lincoln by the governor of Illinois (the state's highest honor) in the area of performing arts.[3]
Short adopted nephew Ronald Bell of San Francisco, the son of Short's older brother William.[1]
Although Short never publicly declared he was gay, it was well known among his friends, fellow musicians, and some of his fans. When asked by a friend why he hadn't taken part in any of the gay pride marches of the '70s and '80s, Short's response was, "I have a living to make! I can't afford to march in the Gay Pride Parade."[4]
On March 21, 2005, Short died ofleukemia atNew York Presbyterian Hospital.[1] He is buried in Atherton Cemetery in Danville, Illinois, the city of his birth.
WithBenny Carter
