American dancer, choreographer, actor, director and showman. He was a partner in marriage and dance with Marge in 1947 for 25 years of night clubs and theaters, films, TV and tours. They were the premier dance team of the ’50s, bringing to the stage a happy and graceful act that pleased audiences everywhere. They gave their last performance together in 1960 in “Sabrina Fair” in summer stock. The following year they both went into directing. His debut was outstanding with “Hello Dolly,” 1964. The couple separated in 1971 and divorced the following year. They had two sons, Gregg and Blake.
Champion’s parents were divorced when he was two and his mom took him and his brother, John, to Los Angeles. As a Junior in Fairfax High School, he teamed up with fellow classmate Jeanne Tyler, to win an amateur dance contest. Both 16, they appeared at a number of West Coast supper clubs and then went to New York for a two-week engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria. Their youthful grace and charm brought them parts in several Broadway reviews.
Champion began to study dance seriously and began ballet training with Ernest Belcher, the father of Marjorie Belcher. Interrupted by war, champion enlisted in the Coast Guard and spent time on transport patrols in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Returning to civilian life, he found that his former partner had married and retired, and he began to work with his former teacher’s daughter, Marge. They teamed as Gower and Bell, with their pro debut in Montreal in 1947. They married a few months later.
As a team, Marge and Gower Champion became one of the most successful pair in the postwar era, drawing good crowds and excellent reviews. Their careers blossomed in the ’50s, leading to Broadway reviews and Hollywood films.
After their divorce, Gower made a second marriage, to Karla, that ended in divorce in 1979.
Champion died of Waldenstrom’s disease on 25 August 1980 in New York at age 59.
Link to Wikipedia biography