Mr. Bojangles, Dance: Jerry Jeff Walker, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Song That Made Nixon Cry

by Ryan B. Case

Overview

Three men's lives, told through the story of one song. Jerry Jeff Walker, the singer and writer behind the classic hit "Mr. Bojangles," never would have expected that his song, inspired by an experience in a New Orleans jail cell, would make Richard Nixon cry, or that it would be covered by Sammy Davis, Jr., the entertainment giant and, controversially, a supporter of Nixon.

This work, told through the perspective of writer, performer and listener, traces these three men's overlapping journeys through the American consciousness. Chapters discuss the history of Walker's song, Davis's rise from rags to riches, Nixon's journey from grocer's son to president, and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476692883
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	04/09/2024
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.51(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ryan B. Case is a writer and musician, and was the leader of the Americana band The Victrolas from 2005 to 2011. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface: Looking for Bojangles
Part
 1. “Love at first sight”
 2. Who Is Uncle Will Mastin?
 3. Holiday in Dixieland
 4. “An honest lawyer”
 5. “That’s my actor!”
 6. Rufus Jones for President
 7. “Dancing down the barriers”
 8. “A quiet game”
 9. “Are you a registered voter in California?”
10. “A time of pocket change”
Part
11. “Drifting, poor, and searching”
12. “How can I follow this guy?”
13. “When your star is up”
14. “A blind song-and-dance man”
15. “The most dangerous man in America”
16. Don’t You Have Enough Problems?
17. “A call from Chicago”
18. “God is on our side”
19. “We gotta have laughs”
20. “Too many words … strange words”
Part
21. “The folk process”
22. “Would you buy a used car from this man?”
23. “Get Sammy”
24. “A real clown’s act”
25. “I’ll buy the night”
26. “As long as you win”
27. “Weirdest day so far”
28. My Own Worst Nightmare
29. “Folkies born in a new age”
Part
30. “Like some song you can’t unlearn”
31. “They’re not colorblind”
32. “How did that happen?”
33. What Were They Doing?
34. “As far uptown as I’m ever going to get”
35. “All kinds of prisons”
36. The Party of the Century
37. “Foolish in her eyes”
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

If you’re ‘of the age’ to remember songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker’s ‘Mr. Bojangles,’ you’ll enjoy Mr. Bojangles, Dance.”—The Media Tourist

From the Publisher