As in the song, the man shared with the guys in jail how he’s been travelling around for years working odd jobs and performing wherever he could usually for drinks and tips. He told them about his dog that travelled with him for years and he was still shaken by the loss.
He used the name Mr. Bojangles because Bill “Bojangles,” Robinson was the best-paid black entertainer of his era (1878 – 1949). The gentleman Walker met in jail was white, but he was a huge fan of Robinson’s, so he used the name and copied some of his dance routines which the guys in jail begged him to perform which he did. By the way, the restaurant chain Bojangles with its Cajun seasonings, was named after Bill Robinson.
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