Leroy Daniels Explained

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]

Daniels subsequently made other screen appearances, including Handle With Care (1964), Petey Wheatstraw (1977), Disco Godfather (1979), and Avenging Angel (1985). He also appeared in the TV series Sanford and Son.

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]

Notes and References

1. Book: Knowles, Mark . The Man Who Made the Jailhouse Rock – Alex Romero, Hollywood Choreographer . McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers . 2013 . 9781476603681 . 83, 182, 183.
2. Book: Baldwin, Kate . The Racial Imaginary of the Cold War Kitchen: From Sokol'niki Park to Chicago's South Side . Dartmouth College Press . 2015 . 9781611688641 . 225.
3. Web site: Ebert . Roger . The Band Wagon movie review & film summary (1953) Roger Ebert . 2023-01-06 . en.
4. Book: Zimmers, Tighe . That's Entertainment: A Biography of Broadway Composer Arthur Schwartz . McFarland Incorporated . 2021 . 9781476678818 . 247.
5. Book: Fearn-Banks, Kathleen . Burford-Johnson . Anne . Historical Dictionary of African American Television . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts . 2014 . 978-0-8108-7917-1 . 2023-06-27 . 411.
6. Web site: Too Blue: The Laff Records Story . Gonzales . Michael A. . April 24, 2015 . . 2023-07-01.