Gower Carlyle Champion was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.
12 Facts About Gower Champion
2.
Gower Champion was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School.
3.
Gower Champion studied dance from an early age and, at the age of fifteen, toured nightclubs with friend Jeanne Tyler billed as "Gower and Jeanne, America's Youngest Dance Team".
4.
Gower and Marge Champion appeared as the Mystery Guests on the May 15,1955 airing of What's My Line.
5.
In 1948, Gower Champion had begun to direct as well, and he won the first of eight Tony Awards for his staging of Lend an Ear, the show that introduced Carol Channing to New York City theater audiences.
6.
Gower Champion had a solid success in 1960 with Bye Bye Birdie, a show about an Elvis-like rock star about to be inducted into the army.
7.
Gower Champion's next show, The Happy Time in 1968, broke his streak.
8.
Gower Champion was married in 1947 to actress Marjorie Celeste Belcher, who became famous as Marge Gower Champion.
9.
Gower Champion has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
10.
Gower Champion was diagnosed in early 1979 with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of blood cancer, by his doctors at the Scripps Institute.
11.
Gower Champion began treatment at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles and was advised not to take on work.
12.
Gower Champion's death came only ten hours before the opening-night performance of 42nd Street, the Broadway musical he choreographed and directed.