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Kenrick Reginald Hijmans Johnson (10 September 1914 – 8 March 1941), known as Ken "Snakehips" Johnson, was a swing band leader and dancer. He was a leading figure in black British music of the 1930s and early 1940s before his death while performing at the Café de Paris , London, when it was hit by a German bomb in the Blitz during ...
Nov 15, 2018 · Ken “Snakehips” Johnson’s contribution to the world of jazz as a black Caribbean musician and activist can be undoubtedly credited for making possible this tradition of high-status non-white bands.
May 8, 2021 · Last week’s column featured the spectacular rise from being a pupil at Sir William Borlase’s School to international fame as bandleader and dancer – Ken “Snakehips” Johnson. By 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, he was a worldwide star, but the bombs falling almost nightly curtailed the activities of most London ...
- Michael Eagleton
Apr 30, 2024 · Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson. From the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 6 September 1940. Image © Illustrated London News/ www.maryevans.com. The band — according to Time magazine — had been...
- Will Noble
Showy Facts About Ken “Snakehips” Johnson, The Electric Entertainer. Ken “Snakehips” Johnson entertained the rich and famous of London, right up until his jaw-dropping and tragic end. 1. He Entranced Audiences. During WWII, Britain was looking for any excuse to celebrate and wash away their sorrows—and Ken “Snakehips” Johnson was their go-to man.
Jul 2, 2017 · 75 years ago this day, a British pop star's life was cut short, another casualty of the Second World War. But find out why this young man was so famous for making London swing. ...more. 75 years ...
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- Mark 1333
Mar 8, 2013 · Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson, dance band leader. Perhaps the best-known victim of the Café de Paris bombing was the musician Kenrick Johnson. Ken was born in what was then the colony of British...
