"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".
He worked with big-band legends including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong.
Received a Guggenheim Fellowship for choreography (2003)
Received the National Endowment of the Art's prestigious National
Heritage Fellowship Award (1999).
He loved bebop music, and worked with pianist Barry Harris for many years.