Jimmy Slyde was born on October 2, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Tap (1989), The Cotton Club (1984) and 'Round Midnight (1986). He was married to Donna. He died on May 16, 2008 in Hanson, Massachusetts, USA.
"Slyde" refers to his trademark tap dance technique: he appears to
slide and skim across the stage as if he were on ice.
Holds an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University.
As a child, he took violin lessons at the New England Conservatory.
He learned tap dancing at Stanley Brown's dance studio, where he met stars including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.
He began performing in clubs with Jimmy Mitchell, who called himself "Sir Slyde". They used the stage name "The Slyde Brothers", and Godbolt started going by the name "Jimmy Slyde".