Tony Burton facts for kids

Anthony Mabron Burton (born March 23, 1937 – died February 25, 2016) was an American actor and boxer. He was best known for playing Tony "Duke" Evers in the famous Rocky movies.

Early Life and Sports

Tony Burton was born in Flint, Michigan. He had a younger sister named Loretta. Tony went to Flint Northern High School. He was a great athlete there.

He was a Michigan Golden Gloves heavyweight boxing champion. He was also chosen as an all-state football player twice. In high school, he played as a halfback. In 1954, he scored 13 touchdowns. He led his team in scoring that year. Many of his runs were very long, over 50 yards. He gained 820 yards rushing. One run was even 95 yards long!

Tony was picked for the All City and All Valley teams. He was also an honorable mention for All State. He was a co-captain and the Most Valuable Player for his team. Tony led his team in both rushing and receiving yards. In one game, he gained 213 total yards. Tony was also the best baseball pitcher for his school. He helped his team win the city championship.

Tony Burton's Career Journey

Boxing Career

Tony Burton was a talented boxer. He won the Flint Golden Gloves light heavyweight championship. He won this title in both 1955 and 1957. In 1957, he won the State Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship. He then competed in the Chicago Tournament of Champions. He reached the semi-finals there.

He became a professional boxer in 1958 and 1959. During this time, he fought Lamar Clark. Clark was known for many knockouts.

Finding Acting

After his boxing career, Tony faced some challenges. He spent time in a California facility. While there, he found a new passion. He joined a therapy program that used acting exercises. These exercises helped him discover his talent for acting. This experience guided him towards a career in movies and TV.

He also met his wife, Rae, after this time. He met her when he was doing a TV repair house call. A workshop he attended used a method called psychodrama. This method helped him see the power of theater. It showed him how acting could create strong emotions.

Acting Roles

After his time in the facility, Tony started acting. He worked with small theater groups in Los Angeles. He quickly began to get good reviews for his performances.

Tony became a life member of the Actors Studio. He appeared in many TV shows and movies. He was a co-star in Frank's Place. He also had roles in films like Stir Crazy and The Toy.

One of his early film roles was in John Carpenter's 1976 action movie, Assault on Precinct 13. He played Wells, a prisoner. Later, he became very famous for his role in the Rocky movies. He played Tony "Duke" Evers. Duke was a trainer for both Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).

Tony also appeared in an episode of Gibbsville in 1976. He was in The Shining, House Party 2, and Hook. He made guest appearances on many popular TV shows. These included Kojak, The Rockford Files, CHiPs, Twin Peaks, and The A-Team. He also guest-starred as Conrad King Baylor on In the Heat of the Night.

Personal Life and Legacy

Tony Burton lived in California for 30 years. He was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California. He married Aurelain (Rae) in 1980. They were married until his death. They had two sons and two daughters. Sadly, one of their sons, Martin, passed away in 2014 at age 43.

Tony was also a very good chess player. He even beat director Stanley Kubrick in a game of chess. This happened on the set of The Shining. Tony played Larry Durkin in that movie.

Recognition and Passing

In 1993, Tony Burton was honored. He was inducted into the Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame.

Tony was often in the hospital during his last year. He passed away on February 25, 2016. He was 78 years old. He died from problems related to pneumonia. He passed away at a hospital in Menifee, California.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video

See also

In Spanish: Tony Burton para niños