Arthur Murray
Arthur Murray | |
---|---|
Born | Moses Teichman April 4, 1895 Georgia Institute of Technology |
Occupation | Founder of franchise "Arthur Murray Dance Studios" |
Years active | 1938–1991 |
Spouse |
Kathryn Kohnfelder (m. 1925) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Henry Heimlich (son-in-law) |
Arthur Murray (born Moses Teichman; April 4, 1895 – March 3, 1991) was an American ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name.[2]
Early life and start in dance
Arthur Murray was born in 1895 as Moses Teichman in
He soon began teaching
In 1919, Murray began studying business administration at the
On April 24, 1925, Murray married his famous dance partner, Kathryn Kohnfelder (September 15, 1906,
The start of Arthur Murray Studios
After WWII, Murray's business grew with the rise of interest in Latin dance, and he regularly taught and broadcast in Cuba in the 1950s. Murray went on television with a dance program hosted by his wife, Kathryn; The Arthur Murray Party ran from 1950 to 1960, on CBS, NBC, DuMont, ABC, and then on CBS. Among the Arthur Murray dance instructors in the early 1950s was future television evangelist D. James Kennedy, who won first prize in a nationwide dance contest.[8] He appeared as a guest on the June 17, 1956, episode of What's My Line?.[9]
The Murrays retired in 1964; but they continued to be active for some time, appearing as guests on the Dance Fever disco show in the late 1970s. By then, there were more than 3,560 dance studios bearing his name. In 2020, about 275 Arthur Murray Studios remained in operation. Arthur Murray Dance Studios claims to be the second-oldest franchised company (the first, A&W Restaurants, began in 1919). In 2012, Arthur Murray Studios celebrated more than 100 years of teaching dance at over 270 Arthur Murray Dance Studios in 22 countries across the globe.[10] These range from studios in Australia (where the prestigious Crows Nest[11] and Parramatta[12] Dance Studios are located) and throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Death
For many years, Murray had two homes – one in Honolulu and another in Rye, New York. He died at his Honolulu home at the age of 95; according to his daughter, Phyllis Murray McDowell, pneumonia was the cause of death. He had been active and in good health until a short time before his death.[13]
In popular culture
Hal Borne and His Orchestra recorded the Mercer-Schertzing song in a Soundie released May 25, 1942, with the Three Murtah Sisters.[14]
Arthur Murray is mentioned in Richard Brautigan's book "Dreaming of Babylon".
Arthur Murray and his dance lesson patterns are mentioned in Steve Goodman's song, "Would You Like To Learn To Dance?"
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-684-80663-1.
- ^ Obituary Variety, March 11, 1991.
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (December 17, 2016). "Dr. Henry J. Heimlich, Famous for Antichoking Technique, Dies at 96". New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". FamilySearch. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Neufeld, Rob (2017-07-31). "Visiting Our Past: Arthur Murray among Battery Park's denizens". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
- OCLC 1230460986.
- ^ "Arthur Murray Taught the World to Dance". Tech Topics. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Summer 1991. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ISBN 978-0-912692-02-9.
- ^ "What's My Line? - Arthur Murray; Pier Angeli & Vic Damone; Paul Winchell [panel] (Jun 17, 1956)". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12.
- ^ "The History of Arthur Murray Dance Studios: Celebrating 100 years of ballroom dancing Arthur Murray International". arthurmurray.com. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ "Dance Classes | Arthur Murray Crows Nest". Dance Classes | Arthur Murray Crows Nest. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- ^ "Dance Lessons Parramatta - Arthur Murray Dancing Studio". www.ballroomdanceparramatta.com.au. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ Pace, Eric (March 4, 1991). "Arthur Murray, Dance Teacher, Dies at 95". The New York Times.
- ISBN 978-0-89950-578-7
External links
- Media related to Arthur Murray at Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Murray Dance Studios