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Joey Hollingsworth is a Black Canadian tap dancer, singer, and conga player who has performed on stage and screen throughout the world. He appeared regularly on Canadian television shows from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Hollingsworth, an adoptee, began dancing at the age of three, and turned professional at age five. In the early 1950s, Hollingsworth became the first black man to appear on CBC television, as a competitor on Pick the Stars. He did not win, and learned years later from one of the judges that racism had influenced the outcome.
In 1962, Hollingsworth sang and tap-danced on the live album At the Purple Onion, with guitarist Lenny Breau and vocalist Don Francks.
In 1997, Hollingsworth was cast in the lead role of Hot Mikado, a musical comedy based on The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. He described the experience as "the thrill of a lifetime."
Toward the end of his career, Hollingsworth worked in Dawson City on shows for the Palace Grand Theatre and Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Hall.
Hollingsworth's television appearances have included The Ed Sullivan Show, the Wayne and Shuster Show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.