News: Original Dapper Dan singer remembers...

[RobotMirror]

http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/st...story_no=21289

"One-time Disneyland singer still on stage
Published: August 31, 2006


By SUNNY LOCKWOOD

Forest Meadows resident Doug Scott spent 26 years singing barbershop quartet songs in the magic kingdom known as Disneyland.
Wearing a bright yellow vest, yellow striped pants and a straw hat, his bass blended smoothly with the other three Dapper Dans of Disneyland voices to keep park visitors tapping their toes and smiling.
Today, photographs fill two walls of his home, showing the quartet singing on street corners, from the back of old-time buses and while riding a four-seated bicycle.
And before he was a Disneyland singer, he worked park security, dressed as a Keystone Cop."
...



More at the link above.

[clara]

*sniff* That was a good article. I remember him...I have pictures in my other computer.

"They fired the quartet last year and now they have four guys who lip synch," he said, shaking his head. At least he was there when the kingdom really was magical.

Huh? I don't know that the new ones lip synch?

[mcow1]

He says the new ones lip sync?

[RobotMirror]

I see that quote, but I'm not sure that is correct -- as far as I know, the new Dapper Dans, when singing, do their own vocals.

[Jackdack]

I think the new Dapper Dans do sing, but they might be aided by something we don't know about. I saw them about a week or two ago and I noticed one of the microphones seemed to be cutting out (the bass for those interested) and I couldn't hear him at all. At first I didn't think anything of it, but Jim Campbell could always be heard, as well as the rest of the Dans even if they didn't have a microphone. Either they need to sing softer because they don't have the lung power/strength to carry a note well or there may be a backing track. If the shows weren't identical and scripted I wouldn't even question it, but who knows?

[Wotan]

The best part, for me, is:

"In those days, Walt's philosophy dominated and that was to have small, intimate entertainment going on throughout the park. Walt wanted people to happen upon a performance. He liked the intimacy of that. He wanted people to have a charming experience. "

[TheGreatEscapist]

Thank you for this article.

I know we have been talking about wages lately. he said he started as security making $2.35/hr and then went to the dapper dans where he was paid at a rate of $6/hr. Using the inflation calculator at inflation data. com that would be like $12.03/hr and $30.71/hr in today's money.

Anyway, thank you for this interesting and enjoyable read!

[Opus1guy]

I knew Doug as a Dapper and even back when he was in Security!

Funny...I just mentioned him this past March on another Disney bulletin board. He's the guy on the right in this picture:

http://www.harmonize.com/DapperDans/..._70s/dd255.jpg

A great guy and was not easily forgotten, that's for sure! Every time I see actor/comedian Will Ferrell...I can't help but think of Doug and the resemblance.

BTW, that web site (http://www.harmonize.com/DapperDans/) is a great place for the history of Disneyland's Dapper Dans over the past 50 years.

Thanks for posting the story!

[fkurucz]

I knew Doug as a Dapper and even back when he was in Security!

Was he in the Disneyland After Dark movie? If so, which one was he. (I'll bet that data is in the link you provided)

[fkurucz]

Was he in the Disneyland After Dark movie? If so, which one was he. (I'll bet that data is in the link you provided)

Never mind, I see that he wasn't in Disneyland After Dark.