Bobby Short

Robert Waltrip Short (September 15, 1924 – March 21, 2005) During his adolescence, he performed in the Danville High School dramatic club with Dick Van Dyke and Donald O'Connor. He began performing piano in dance halls and saloons, and as a busker, after leaving home at age 11 for Chicago with his mother's permission.

Personal life Short adopted nephew Ronald Bell of San Francisco, the son of Short's older brother William.

Although Short never publicly declared he was gay, it was well known among his friends, fellow musicians, and some of his fans. When asked by a friend why he had not taken part in any of the gay pride marches of the 1970s and 1980s, Short's response was, "I have a living to make! I can't afford to march in the Gay Pride Parade".

Death On March 21, 2005, Short died of leukemia at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

As guest vocalist With Benny Carter Benny Carter Songbook (MusicMasters, 1996)

Filmography Call Me Mister (1951) Roots: The Next Generations (1979) Hardhat and Legs (1980) You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story (1983) Hannah and her Sisters (1986) The Price of the Ticket (1989) For Love or Money (1993) Blue Ice (1993) Man of the Century (1999) Always At The Carlyle (2018)

Television The Love Boat (2 episodes, 1981) In the Heat of the Night (2 episodes, 1991, 1994) Frasier (1 episode, 2001) 7th Heaven (1 episode 2003)