Breaking Bones and Hitting Tones: Muhammad Ali bought out his singing chops and shined in a memorable Broadway Musical
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Ali performing as Buck on the Ed Sullivan Show
Muhammad Ali was probably the greatest sportsman of the 20th Century. This was only partly due to his prowess inside the ring while a huge majority of that image was shaped by his actions outside the squared circle. One of the most charismatic personalities of his day, it is no surprise that Ali could have easily forged a career in the arts.
Well, he did give it a try nonetheless. Back when Ali was suffering from his suspension from boxing, he needed to look for alternative sources of revenue. While talks across colleges in the country would pay for some of his expenses it was no match for the millions he earned while still a boxer.
However, destiny came knocking at Ali’s door as an acting role in a musical was eerily similar to that of his trials. Ali, who had been suspended for refusing to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, was called to star in a leading role for the broadway musical, Buck White.
The story dealt with Buck (Ali) who is currently appealing his five-year prison conviction and $10,000 fine for refusing to enter the armed services on religious grounds. The blatant parallel between the story of Buck and that of Ali is what attracted him the most to the role.
While the musical had a short-lived run, only having 7 shows in total, Muhammad Ali was a prominent member in all these shows. He sang every song to the best of his abilities with one critic at the time describing his performance as, “…acts without embarrassment and moves with innate dignity… “
Ali would also perform a rendition of “We Came in Chains,” on the popular talk show, the Ed Sullivan Show alongside cast members Ted Ross and Herschel Burton.
Related: Antonio Inoki: The Man who, along with the legendary Muhammad Ali laid the foundations of MMA
Muhammad Ali and his eternal love of the spoken word
A musical was not the only artistic pursuit of Ali’s life as he was also someone who had album sales to his name. Released under his birth name, Cassius Clay, the album titled, “I am the Greatest” acted in part as a musical album and in part as a comedy Album.
On this album, Ali would famously release his own rendition of the evergreen classic by Ben E. King, Stand By Me.
Also Read: How The Olympic Gold Medal Muhammad Ali threw into a river made his way back to him 4 decades later
Apart from having been involved in countless works of literature written on his life, Ali’s love for the spoken word would triumph over them all. A role model in every sense of the word, Ali also had a gift for the children in his Album titled, Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay.
Released in 1976, the album aims to educate children about proper debtal hygiene and the dangers of lack thereof. The album was narrated by Ali’s eternal frenemy, Howard Cosell and even featured a guest appearance from Frank Sinatra himself.
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Jerin Mathew
(713 Articles Published)