Rector was born on
Christmas day in 1890 in
Orange, New Jersey. According to Constance Vallis Hill's biography on the Library of Congress Tap Dancing America database, Rector started at age 15 in Mayme Remington's Vaudeville troupe. His first job in the theater was as a
pickaninny. Shortly thereafter, in 1913, he got the part of 'Red Cap Sam' in a musical revue called
the Darktown Follies. After finishing his run with the follies, he began touring with his partner Toots Davis in the
T.O.B.A. Circuit. He partnered with Toots Davis, dancing “over the tops and in the trenches,” a particular dynamic step juxtaposing upright jumping over the legs, with bending at the waist almost touching the floor and sliding the feet back. It was during this period that he met his wife, Grace. In the 1920s, he and his wife began to tour the Vaudeville circuits along with their new partner
Ralph Cooper. The Rector-Cooper act played at
Connie's Inn. It was at
New York's Connie's Inn that he developed his own military precision drill-routine to the tune of
The Parade of the Tin Soldiers. The routine allowed him to move around the entire stage, breaking from the sedentary style that was usually seen in tap of that time. As he became a regular Cotton Club performer, he developed his own style of dance, particular incorporating the use of big drums. The Rector-Cooper act was especially featured at the
Lafayette Theatre. They were considered a draw, and often danced to standing room only. Their dancing was described as “clever” and “defying description,” as having “inimitable style that few dancing teams of today can equal,” and of being “one of the snappiest dance teams in the country,” and of being so hot, that their dancing “burnt ‘em up.” Numerous sources describe Rector and Cooper as a “class act,” and they were known for their sharp dressing styles as much as their sharp tapping skills. As described in the
Baltimore Afro-American, “their raccoon coats were the talk of the fashion-conscious.” with
Fats Waller in
Tan Town Topics in 1926, and alongside
Ethel Waters in 1925. Rector danced in “Dixie to Broadway” in 1924 alongside
Florence Mills and
Willie Covan. In 1942, Rector and Cooper headlined the Murrain's Lounge and Cabaret Show with Christopher Columbus and his orchestra. In 1945, Eddie Rector danced in the
Atlantic City Follies with
Peg Leg Bates. In 1928, Eddie got a job performing in the international tour of
Blackbirds of 1928, replacing
Bill Robinson. After the tour, he returned to the
United States and began dancing with
Duke Ellington at the
Cotton Club.
Hot Rhythm (1930) received scathing reviews from the critics, but Eddie Rector's dancing described as “the best,” “one of the best dancers on the boards,” 1932's
Yeah Man was similarly panned, excepting the dancing of Eddie Rector. As the
Baltimore Afro-American stated, “its only redeeming feature is the dancing. Eddie Rector sets a high standard, while Roy and Rastus, the Stepping Quintette and three acts of Lindy Hoppers work hard to maintain.” In 1957 Dar Burley listed Rector as #7 in the 12 greatest tap dancers of all time, after
Bill Bojangles Robinson,
John Bubbles, Teddy Hale, Derby Wilson,
Bill Bailey, Baby Lawrence, and
Honi Coles. == Blackbirds controversy ==