Foster Johnson: Who was Nichelle Nichols’ First Husband?

Foster Johnson was a tap dancer, choreographer, and teacher best known for his paddle-and-roll tap style. He appeared in Jon Hendricks’ Evolution of the Blues.

Foster Johnson was Nichelle Nichols’ first husband. They were married in 1951 and divorced that same year. Kyle Johnson, who was born on August 14, 1951, was Johnson and Nichols’ only child.

As a dancer, Johnson performed solo as well as with Bobby Johnson (as Foster and Bobby), comic Timmie Rodgers, Albert “Pops” Whitman, and the trio Tip, Tap, and Toe. His wife, Nichelle Nichols, was one of his ballroom partners.

Foster Johnson was born on January 3, 1917. He died at the age of 64 on October 29, 1981.

Nichelle Nichols was best known for her role as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series and its film adaptations. For African American actresses on American television, Nichols’ portrayal of Uhura was groundbreaking.

She was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992 for her contributions to television. Nichols was the first woman to receive the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films’ Life Career Award in 2016.