Dancin' Dave
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Dave Whatley (31 March 1927 – 21 September 2015), better known as Dancin' Dave, was an American
street performer Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
and local celebrity in the
Wiregrass Wiregrass is a common name for several plants Wiregrass may refer to: * Poaceae grasses ** ''Aristida'' (three-awns), especially ''Aristida stricta'' (Pineland Three-awn), '' Aristida junciformis'' and ''Aristida purpurea'' (Purple Three-awn), of ...
, especially around Dothan,
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. He was well known for his dances which he would perform for a small offering, and his white sailor uniform.


Biography

Dave was born on March 31, 1927, in
Headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...
, Alabama to Dave Woodruff Whatley and Catherine Pouncey Whatley, he was one of 15 children. His father passed away when he was only 12, and he was sent to
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
to live with family. He spent most of his life walking around the Wiregrass, doing odd jobs for money. He performed his gig for nearly seven decades. He would become a fixture at local events such as festivals, where he performed. Many rumors and tales would spread about him, speculating about his backstory. He would perform for many years, until 2015 when his failing health would cause him to move in with his sister. He would pass away later that year from cancer on September 21 at the age of 88.


Legacy

Dave was a very well known figure in Dothan and the Wiregrass, and was beloved by locals. A peanut statue of him was unveiled in the town, a tradition reserved usually for high-profile figures, just two months prior to his death. He was honored in Dothan's 2015 annual
national peanut festival The National Peanut Festival (NPF), the United States' largest peanut festival, is held each fall in Dothan, Alabama, to honor peanut growers and to celebrate the harvest season. Established in 1938, the fairgrounds are located on Highway 231 Sou ...
parade. A mural dedicated to him was unveiled in 2017, painted by
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artist Charly Palmer. Fundraisers were held to get his grave, originally unmarked, a tombstone, but after an anonymous donor provided it instead the funds were given to a food bank.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dave, Dancin Dothan, Alabama American street performers 1927 births 2015 deaths