- "Slyde" refers to his trademark tap dance technique: he appears to slide and skim across the stage as if he were on ice.
- Holds an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University.
- As a child, he took violin lessons at the New England Conservatory.
- He learned tap dancing at Stanley Brown's dance studio, where he met stars including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.
- He began performing in clubs with Jimmy Mitchell, who called himself "Sir Slyde". They used the stage name "The Slyde Brothers", and Godbolt started going by the name "Jimmy Slyde".
- He worked with big-band legends including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong.
- Received a Guggenheim Fellowship for choreography (2003)
- Received the National Endowment of the Art's prestigious National Heritage Fellowship Award (1999).
- He loved bebop music, and worked with pianist Barry Harris for many years.
- Has one son: Darryl.
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