The Resume

(April 2, 1911-November 12, 1992)
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tap dancer and actor
Formed a partnership with Charles ‘Cholly’ Atkins (1940-59)
Appeared on Broadway in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1949-51), ‘Bubbling Brown Sugar’ (1976-77), and ‘My One and Only’ (1983-85)
Appeared in the films ‘Rocky II’ (1979), ‘The Cotton Club’ (1984), and ‘Dirty Dancing’ (1987)
Founding member of the American Tap Dance Orchestra (1986)

Why he might be annoying:

He traveled from Philadelphia to New York to join a show that closed the night it opened, leaving him stranded with ‘no money, no job.’
He worked briefly with Billie Holiday, but he could not stand her singing.
Asked his opinion of break dancers, he said, ‘Everything they’re doing has been done – everything.’

Why he might not be annoying:

He earned a reputation for having ‘the fastest feet in the business.’
He worked as a stage manager at the Apollo Theater, where he introduced the other acts (1960-76).
He was a featured guest in the Joffrey Ballet’s production of Agnes de Mille’s ‘Conversations about the Dance.’ (1977-78)
He was the first dancer to win both a Tony and a Drama Desk Award (both for ‘My One and Only’).
He taught dance and dance history at Yale, Cornell, Duke, and George Washington University.
He received the National Medal of the Arts (1991).
Lena Horne said, ‘Honi makes butterflies look clumsy. He was my Fred Astaire.’

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 79]
• I Am Vaudeville [A-L]
• I Appeared on Jerry Lewis' MDA Telethon [C-D]
• I Died in 1992 (Ranked: 81)
• I Had a Stroke [Cerebral Vascular Accident]
• Look at Me, I'm Wearing a Tux
• My Nickname is Part of My Name [A-L]
• Profiles 47501-47750 (Ranked: 47722)
• Tap Dancers
• Tony Award: Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Ranked: 1983)

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying