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Gower Champion Biography
Birth Name:
Gower Carlisle Champion
Birth Place:
Geneva, Illinois, United States
Profession
Actor, theater director, choreographer, dancer
Fast Facts
- Grew up in Los Angeles, California
- At age 15, after winning a dance contest with Jeanne Tyler, toured nightclubs as Gower and Jeanne, America's Youngest Dance Team
- Served during WWII in the U
- S
- Coast Guard
- One half of the dance team Gower and Bell, with Marjorie Belcher (aka Marjorie Bell), later renamed after their marriage as Marge and Gower Champion
- Won 8 Tony Awards out of 15 nominations
- Died the day of the opening-night curtain of the Broadway musical 42nd Street, which he directed and ended up running for 9 years
Awards
- 1959Emmy-Best Direction of a Single Musical or Variety Program: nominated
Relationships
- John C. Champion -- Brother
- Marjorie Celeste Belcher -- Ex-wife
- John W. Champion -- Father
- Beatrice Carlisle -- Mother
- Blake Champion -- Son
- Gregg Champion -- Son
- Karla Russell Champion -- Wife