Lon Satton facts for kids

Lon Satton (born Alonzo Louis Lee Staton) was an American singer and actor. He was born on February 11, 1927, and passed away on October 30, 2020. Lon Satton became famous for playing the role of Poppa in the musical Starlight Express. This popular show was created by Andrew Lloyd Webber. For his amazing performance, he was nominated for an Olivier Award in 1984. This award is a very important theater award in the United Kingdom. Sometimes, people knew him as Lonnie Sattin.

Lon Satton's Early Life

Lon Satton was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1927. He was one of nine children in his family. His father, C.T. Staton, was a minister for the Church of God in Christ.

When Lon was young, his family moved to Philadelphia. He went to Temple University. At first, he thought about becoming a minister like his father. However, he won a singing contest and became very interested in entertainment.

Lon Satton's Career

Lon Satton started his career as a singer. He performed in many jazz clubs. For a while, he was a singer with Earl Hines and the Cotton Club Revue.

Starting in Theater

In Chicago, Lon joined a theater group. This led him to start acting in plays. He performed in both Off-Broadway and Broadway shows. In 1958, he starred alongside Barbara McNair in the musical The Body Beautiful. He also recorded several songs for Capitol Records.

Movies and TV Shows

Lon Satton appeared in movies and on television. His first movie role was a small part in The Human Duplicators. He also played Lieutenant Jack Neal on the TV show One Life to Live.

In the early 1970s, Lon moved to the United Kingdom. He played a CIA agent in the James Bond film Live and Let Die in 1973.

Famous Stage Roles

Lon Satton acted in many musicals in London. In 1971, he was in Catch My Soul at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The next year, he performed in The Threepenny Opera at the same theater. In 1977, he acted in Bubbling Brown Sugar.

His most famous role was Ramblin' Poppa McCoy. He played this character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Starlight Express. Lon played Poppa from the show's opening in 1984 until 1996. His performance earned him a nomination for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Lon Satton's Family Life

Lon Satton had two children with his wife, actress Tina Sattin. His cousin was the famous jazz singer Dakota Staton.

Lon Satton's Filmography

Movies

• 1968: For Love of Ivy - Harry
• 1970: The Invincible Six - Mike
• 1970: Hello-Goodbye - Cole Strutter
• 1971: Welcome to the Club - Marshall Bowles
• 1972: Steptoe and Son - Pianist
• 1973: Live and Let Die - Harold Strutter
• 1978: Revenge of the Pink Panther - Sam Spade and the Private Eyes #1
• 1990: The March - Jack Harris

Television Shows

• 1969: One Life to Live - Lieutenant Jack Neal
• 1975: Space 1999 - Benjamin Ouma (1 episode)
• 1975: Quiller - Jim Lane (2 episodes)
• 1994: The Lenny Henry Show - Chief of police (1 episode)