Short's dedication to his great love – what he called the "Great American Song" – left him equally adept at performing the witty lyrics of Bessie 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 of Tom Jobim and was present during the composer's final days in New York City.
Early life
Short was born in Danville, Illinois, where two of his school classmates were Dick Van Dyke and Donald 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.
Career
Bobby Short in 1972
Short began his adult musical career in clubs in the 1940s. In 1968 he was offered a two-week stint at the Café Carlyle in New York City, to fill in for George 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 published Black 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 with Bobby 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 to James Ivory's film Savages. 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 as Bobby Short at the Cafe Carlyle. In 1981, he made a cameo appearance on The Love Boat in a two-part episode. In 1985, he sang part of the opening theme for the NBC television show Misfits of Science. Short continued working in films when, in 1986, he appeared in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. Allen used Short's recording of "I Happen to Like New York" for the opening title of Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993).
In 1991, Short made a guest appearance as blues musician Ches Collins on the TV series In 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 the Michael J. Fox comedy film For Love or Money, performing Marc Shaiman's song "In Your Eyes". Short's final film role was in Man of the Century (1999).
Later years
In 2000, the Library of Congress designated Short a Living Legend, a recognition established as part of its bicentennial celebration. The next year, his voice was featured in the 200th episode of the sitcom Frasier. 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.
Awards
Bobby Short was inducted as a Laureate of The 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]
Personal life
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]
