Background
Briggs was born in Harlem, New York on February 26, 1922.
Briggs was born in Harlem, New York on February 26, 1922.
At one point he thought about becoming a Catholic priest but instead began performing as a tap dancer and singer. He performed with Duke Ellington"s Orchestra. In May 1985 Briggs performed on the National Broadcasting Company television Special, "Motown Returns to the Apollo".
He appeared on stage and in movies including the Gregory Hines film Tap in 1989.
In 2002, Briggs received an honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts in American Dance by Oklahoma City University in 2002, honoring him as one of the nine doctorates of Tap Dance. Briggs died in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 15, 2014, aged 92.
