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James "Spizzy" Canfield was a vaudeville comedian, dancer, choreographer, manager of performing artists, producer of performing artists, and impresario. Later in his career, he was a nightclub producer, notably of the:

As dancer

Fox Theater

1941: Tropical Garden, 5916 Easton, in the Wellston Loop in St. Louis, managed by Sam Zucker (né Samuel M. Zucker; 1896–1981), starring Jewell Belle, soprano. Zucker, essentially, in 1940, converted his Palm Room to the Tropical Garden, which stayed open only a few months during 1941.

As producer and emcee

1945–1948: Club Riviera, 4460 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis; owned by Jordan W. Chambers

One of the productions, in 1945, introduced the Prairie View College Co-eds, an all-female swing band directed by Will Henry Bennett.

1947–1948: Club Plantation, St. Louis From about 1947 to about 1948, Spizzy Canfield performed in St. Louis at the Plantation Club (see Palladium), then owned and operated by Anthony "Tony" Scarpelli (1899–1978) and his brother, Jim, both crime family gangsters.

1953: Canfield Dancers at the Apollo, with Gene Ammons, Hadda Brooks, Teddy Hale (tap dancer; died 1959), The Ebonairs, Rose Hardaway

As promoter

Apollo Theater in Harlem, and the

Plantation in St. Louis

Spizzie Canfield Enterprises

1952: Duke Hampton, Mantan Moreland, and Bud Harris (August 8 to September 7, 1952); Tiny Bradshaw's Band with Mabel Scott (September 5 to September 21, 1952); The Dominoes (September 19 to October 5, 1952); Peg Leg Bates, Arthur Prysock and the famed Sweethearts of Rhythm; Roy Brown's Mighty Men Unit.

Canfield Productions, New York, New York

Career

Canfield was part of a comedy act called "Canfield & Lewis," aka "Spizzie & Willie" (Willie Lewis) that ran from 1942 to 1945. They were discovered around 1942 by Lionel Hampton in Cincinnati.

Willie Lewis, sometime before 1961, worked with comedian Slappy White (né Melvin Edward White; 1921–1995) in a act called "Lewis & White."

White began his career in 1941 as a dancer in Baltimore with pantomimist Wilie Washington in an act called the Two Zephyrs. After Lewis & White, he began working with Red Foxx as Foxx & White. White was married to Pearl Bailey and, in 1959, married LaVerne Baker.

Legal matter in 1952

A five thousand dollar reputation suit against

1. D.P. Nesbitt (né Delavel Pope Nesbitt; 1909–1963),
2. James "Spizzy" Canfield,
3. Eustace "Duke" Pilgrim (né Eustace Michael Pilgrim; 1921–1970), who married Anna Mae Winburn in 1948, and with her, had four children
4. Anna Mae Pilgrim

For misrepresentation and using name of The "5" Royales on tour of the south.

There was also a ten thousand dollar damage suit against the unit posing themselves as the original act. The plaintiffs were:

1. Julian Silvers, booking agent at Apollo Records, representing:
2. Otto Jefferies (1912–1975)
3. Jimmy Moore (aka Johnny; né James Edward Moore; 7 March 1926 – 16, August 2008), who, in 1943, replaced Clarence Pauling, just as the quintet was gaining a regional reputation in the Carolinas
4. Obadiah Carter (né Obadiah Hawthorne Carter; 1925–1994),
5. John "Johnny" Tanner (né John Louis Tanner; 1924–2005), brother of Eugene Tanner (né Eugene Elijah Tanner; 1936–1994)
6. Lowman Pauling (né Lowman Pete Pauling, Jr.; 1927–1973) (Clarence Paul's brother),

All of whom, at the time, comprised The "5" Royales, of "Baby Don't Do It" fame.

Career

1952–1954, The "5" Royales of Winston-Salem, managed by Carl Lebow, vs. the The Royals of Detroit, managed by Spizzy Canfield.

Canfield, promoter of the tour, along with D.P. Nesbitt (né Delavel Pope Nesbitt; 1909–1963), manager of the Liberty Theater in Columbus, Georgia, were co-defendants along with the The Royals.

In 1947, Canfield was performing at the Riviera Club in St. Louis, an all-black club on Delmar and Taylor. The club was owned by Jordan Chambers.

From about 1947 to about 1948, Spizzy Canfield performed in St. Louis at the Plantation Club (see Palladium), then owned and operated by Anthony "Tony" Scarpelli (1899–1978) and his brother, Jim, both crime family gangsters.

In 1953, Spizzy was performing at the Apollo in New York.

In 1955, Spizzy was a night club producer in Montreal.

The tour started, featuring Anna Mae Winburn (and her all-girl orchestra), the Fou Chez dancers, and comedian Bobby Wallace.

From Cash Box

Carl Lebow, new A & R at De Luxe Records, King subsidary, hectic at his New York office as he interviews talent and cuts audition dubs. Carl has several artists lined up for contract and will make his announcements in a week or two . . . Story in last issue identified Carl Lebow as manager of The "5" Royales and Charlie Ferguson. Carl is in partnership with Ike Berman of Apollo Records on the personal management of the group and Ferguson. Apollo’s current "5" Royales hit, "I Want To Thank You" and "All Righty" headed right for the charts as the tempo of sales picks up each day. For a thrill listen to Mahalia Jackson sing "I Wonder If I Will Ever Rest." A terrific authentic Afro-Negro spiritual . . .

• Spizzy Canfield, once a standby emcee in Pittsburgh, went to Montreal 1955 to book and produce shows. He was still there in 1959.

• Peg Leg Bates moves up to Montreal and the Montmarte and had hoped to take singer Mabel Lee with him as part of a package deal cooked up by Spizzie Canfield.

• John W. Mosley photo collection.

• Managed Betty Carter.

Bankruptcy

Ex-dancer James (Spizzie) Canfield filed a bankruptey petition in Federal Court listing his liabilities as $19,137 and his assets as $500.

Producer of

• Daisy Richards (née Daisy Belle Richards; 1917–2000), dancer

• March 26, 1965: Apollo Theater: Brook Benton, Jimmy Reed, King Curtis, Dobie Gray, Clay "Charlie" Tyson, Sr. (1929–1976) (comedian), and Spizzie Canfield (comedian)

• Canfield was a producer for Sugar Ray Robinson, namely at the Henry Hotel in Manhattan

Anna Mae Winburn

On January 2, 1930, Anna Mae Darden married Charles Winburn (né Charles Raymond Winburn; 1910–1960) in Howard County, Indiana. In 1947, Anna Mae Winburn was granted a divorce by the Howard County Circuit Court in Kokomo. In the divorce proceedings, she testified that Charles abandoned her in June 1934.

Chateau Lido, of Indianapolis, was a private house converted into a club at 4424 Keystone Avenue at Allisonville Road. It ran from 1933 to 1935. Later, in the 1940s, the venue became the "Southern Mansion" and featured big bands. Chateau Lido was managed and owned by Robert C. Criswell (1916–1991) and his wife, Venita Viola MacMillan (maiden; 1917–2016) and Floyd J.B. McKinsey (1893–1942).

1933: Chiswell & Banks, proprietors; Lloyd Turpin (Turpin), manager

James Canfield disambiguation

James "Spizzy" (or "Spizzie") Canfield is not to be confused with James Canfield (né James John Canfield; bornT 1960),

• Studied at and danced for the Washington School of Ballet under the direction of Mary Day (née Mary Henry Day; 1910–2006) (1977–1978)
• Dancer with the Joffrey Ballet II (1978, for 8 months)
• principal dancer with Joffrey Ballet (1979–1985)
• principal dancer with the Pacific Ballet Theater (Portland) (1986–1989)
• founding artistic director of the Oregon Ballet Theatre (1989–2003)
• artistic director of the Nevada Ballet Theatre (2008–2017)

• affiliated with the NW Dance Project (Portland)