Bobby Short

Bobby Short (1924-2005) was an American cabaret singer and pianist known for his interpretations of songs by popular composers from the first half of the 20th century. He performed works by Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Richard A. Whiting, Vernon Duke, Noël Coward, and George and Ira Gershwin. Additionally, Short championed African-American composers of the same period, including Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn. He showcased their music as equal to that of their white contemporaries. Short's versatility allowed him to perform both the witty lyrics of Bessie Smith's 'Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)' and the classics like Gershwin and Duke's 'I Can't Get Started.'