Jack Wiggins was an African-American entertainer of the early twentieth century, now remembered primarily for his elegant style in tap dance. Wiggins worked as a performer at the Hoofers Club on "Swing Street" in Harlem, New York, where he inspired Laurence Donald "Baby Laurence" Jackson (later a member of the Tap Dance Hall of Fame).[1] Wiggins also influenced Fayard and Harold Nicholas of the famous Nicholas Brothers tap duo.[2] Wiggins was recognized as a master soloist in the "Class Act" style of tap dancing.[3] A signature dance of Wiggins' was the "tango twist."[4]
In a 1993 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Nipsey Russell remarked that he had been inspired to become a performer around the age of 10 while watching Wiggins on stage. "He came out immaculately attired in a well-dressed street suit and he tap-danced," Russell said. "As he danced, he told little jokes in between. He was so clean in his language and was lacking in any drawl, he just inspired me. I wanted to do that."[5]
^"'Baby Laurence' Jackson," American Tap Dance Foundation, Tap Dance Hall of Fame, [1]
^"Fayard Nicholas." by Terry Monaghan, The Guardian, January 27, 2006, [2]
^"Tap Dance in America: A Very Short History" by Constance Valis Hill
^"Pete Nugent," Street Swing Dance History Archives
^"Rhyming Funnyman Nipsey Russell Dies," by Joe Holley, October 4, 2005, The Washington Post, [3]
JackWiggins was an African-American entertainer of the early twentieth century, now remembered primarily for his elegant style in tap dance. Wiggins...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Helen Wiggins (born Ellen Matilda Wiggins) was a British film editor active from the 1930s through to the 1970s. Helen was the daughter of JackWiggins, a...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
became professional basketball players. Wiggins was born in Los Angeles, California, and his mother, Karla Wiggins, raised him as a single mother. As a child...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
them a week apart in 2012. The son of the Australian cyclist Gary Wiggins, Wiggins was born to a British mother in Ghent, Belgium, and raised in London...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was an English-born Canadian actor. Wiggins was born January 13, 1931, in Blackpool, England...
Ernest Ropiequet "Jack" Hilgard (July 25, 1904 – October 22, 2001) was an American psychologist and professor at Stanford University. He became famous...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...
Joseph Matarazzo (1989) Stanley Graham (1990) Charles Spielberger (1991) JackWiggins Jr. (1992) Frank H. Farley (1993) Ronald E. Fox (1994) Robert J. Resnick...