Julian Swain

Julian Swain, 86 ROCKFORD - Julian Swain, 86, passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 19, 2011, in SwedishAmerican Hospital. Julian was born Dec. 8, 1924, in Chicago, and raised by his mother, Sarah Elizabeth Davis Swain. He attended Stephen A. Douglas Elementary School and Wendell Phillips High School. At Chicago's Southside Community Arts Center, Julian met artists like Margaret Goss Burroughs and Gordon Parks and took lessons with dancers Lester Goodman, Lucille Ellis, Wilbert Bradley, Sammy Dyer, Tommy Gomez and Jimmy Payne. He also performed with Carmencita Romero in the Annual Artists Ball at the Savoy. In 1940, Julian traveled with Romero and danced in Toronto before learning about African dance in New York from Senegal's Asadata Dafora. After returning to Chicago, Julian worked as a choreographer in Lon Fontaine's "Beige Beaus" at the Beige Room. Julian then became choreographer and lead dancer at Chicago's Club DeLisa. Julian gained his greatest notoriety as a member of the Co-Op Trio with Peter Green and Ann Henry. The Co-Ops performed with acts like Count Basie and in venues like Larry Steele's Club Harlem in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Arthur Bragg's Idlewild Review in Michigan. In 1971, Julian formed the Julian Swain Inner City Dance Theatre at Malcom X College. As a singer and actor, Julian had performed in many musical revivals including Okoro Harold Johnson's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," Randall Johnson's "Le Stardust Revue, A Tribute to Duke Ellington," Chuck Hoenes' "Best of the Hit Paraders" and "Sugar." Julian was featured in the movie "The Blues Brothers" and performed in Carlos Santana and Michelle Branch's "The Game of Love" video. Among the many awards Julian received were the Black Theatre Alliance Award, 2004 Chicago Senior Citizen Award, Muntu Dance Theatre and African American Arts Alliance Lifetime Achievement awards and Najwa Dance Corps for his contribution to the arts and dance. Survivors include his companion, Edith McCauley; children, Mary (Dave) Kilty of Machesney Park, William (Ann) Gregory of Princeton, Kevin (Cheryl) McCauley of DeKalb; grandchildren, Liz Kilty, Lindsey (Ryan) Thompson, Jason Kramer and Todd Gregory; and great-grandchild, WesleyThompson. Predeceased by his mother, Sarah. Memorial gathering from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Mulford Chapel, 1860 S. Mulford Road, with a time of sharing memories at 8 p.m. The family will plan a memorial gathering after June 1 in Chicago.