The Resume

(June 22, 1919-August 25, 1980)
Born in Geneva, Illinois
Appeared with wife Marge Champion in the films 'Mr. Music' (1950), 'Show Boat' (1951), 'Lovely to Look At' (1952), 'Everything I Have Is Yours' (1952), 'Give a Girl a Break' (1953), 'Jupiter's Darling' (1955) and 'Three for the Show' (1955)
Appeared in the TV sitcom 'The Marge and Gower Champion Show' (1957)
Choreographed and directed the Broadway musicals 'Bye Bye Birdie' (1960), 'Hello, Dolly!' (1964), 'The Happy Time' (1968) and '42nd Street' (1980)

Why he might be annoying:

He began performing in nightclubs at age 15 with friend Jeanne Tyler, billed as 'America's Youngest Dance Team.'
'Bye Bye Birdie' composer Charles Strouse called him 'a very cold man, very controlling and very controlled.'
In the 70s he was responsible for three increasingly unsuccessful Broadway musicals: 'Mack and Mabel' (66 performances in 1974), 'Rockabye Hamlet' (7 performances in 1976) and 'A Broadway Musical' (one performance in 1978).
After he was diagnosed with the blood cancer Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, he ignored his doctors' orders to stop working.

Why he might not be annoying:

His father abandoned the family when he was four months old.
He served with the Coast Guard in World War II.
He won eight Tony Awards, five for choreography and three for directing.
He did not get to see his greatest Broadway success, dying hours before '42nd Street' opened.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 22]
• Choreographers
• I Did Not Graduate High School [C-E]
• I Died in 1980 (Ranked: 61)
• I Have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[C-E]
• I Married in 1976
• Musical Theater Star
• Person to Person - Guests [A-K]
• Profiles 26501-26750 (Ranked: 26542)
• Served in World War II
• Stars of MGM Musicals
• What's My Line - Mystery Guests [1950-1967]

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 54 Votes: 53.70% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 18 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 34 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 13 Votes: 61.54% Annoying