Buck and Bubbles were part of the amazingly talented cast of Blackbirds of 1930 along with piano virtuoso Eubie Blake and the magnificent vocalist Ethel Waters. While this revue is considered a landmark event in the history of black classical music, there is an awestruck need to be reminded that it only ran for a total of 26 performances, leaving Ford Lee “Buck” Washington and John W. Bubbles unemployed again.
High Toned- Starring Buck and Bubbles
The pair fronted a group known as Buck and Bubbles and Their Bucket which was a regular attraction at New York City’s Apollo Theatre in the ’30s and ’40s. But these performers received much more widespread exposure through special appearances in a dozen or so Hollywood films, as well as stage triumphs including Porgy and Bess.