A Brief History
On May 9, 1986, Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay died, the first man to climb Mt. Everest. Sir Edmund Hilary is usually given that distinction, but it was Norgay that guided him up the tallest mountain in the world and was probably the first to the summit. History is full of sidekicks, a person close to another that gets most of the fame, fame that would be less likely without the presence of the sidekick. Kind of like bacon and eggs, or beer and pretzels, the primary and the sidekick just belong together. Here we list 10 of history’s most famous sidekicks. (Note: Tonto and Robin will have to wait for a fictional list.)
Digging Deeper
10. Art Garfunkle (Paul Simon).
Paul wrote the music and arranged the songs, while Art sang great harmony. Paul was the musical genius, but it was Art’s voice that brought the duo to the top of the music world.
9. Fletcher Christian (William Bligh).
Mr. Christian was the second in command of the HMS Bounty commanded by Captain Bligh. Bligh was the tyrannical sea captain (played by Charles Laughton, Trevor Howard, and Anthony Hopkins in major motion pictures) that lost his ship to Christian (played by Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, and Mel Gibson in those same movies) and other mutineers in 1789. Without Fletcher Christian it is doubtful we would know about Captain Bligh today, the poster boy for a tyrannical boss.
8. Barney Oldfield (Henry Ford).
Oldfield was the first auto racing superstar and Henry Ford had him drive a couple of Ford’s first automobiles to significant victories in 1902, making Barney’s reputation as a driver and Henry’s as an automaker. Later in life, Henry Ford told Barney that the two of them had made each other, to which Oldfield replied that he had done a much better job of it than Ford. (Ford was much wealthier.) Although their association was short, it was beneficial to both and for that short time Oldfield was a great sidekick.
7. Tenzing Norgay (Edmund Hillary).
As mentioned above, Hillary would likely never have reached the summit of Mt. Everest without Norgay. Hillary went on to great fame and fortune, endorsing Sears camping equipment and being knighted, while Norgay was a trivia answer. In more recent years, Norgay’s vital part in the feat has been better recognized and the Sherpa mountain guides are now well known.
6. William Clark (Meriwether Lewis).
In 1804, President Jefferson sent this intrepid pair on what was called the Corps of Discovery Expedition to explore the western reaches of the United States newly acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. We know it better as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with Captain Lewis commanding and Lieutenant Clark second in command. Their exploring and reporting back was vital information to the US, and Lewis certainly needed a capable #2 to help him along. (Of course, Sacagawea, the Native American young woman guide was vital to their success, something more than a sidekick.)
5. Hillary Clinton (Bill Clinton).
Rhodes Scholar Bill Clinton needed an equally intelligent wife and he got one in Wellesley Valedictorian Hillary. Working closely with Bill as the First Lady of Arkansas and of the White House when Bill was governor and then President, Hillary exercised an unprecedented amount of influence and was a valuable assistant to Bill. Now that Bill is retired, he is serving a similar role for Hillary. Time will tell if the tables turn completely if Hillary is elected president in 2016.
4. Raymond Teller (Penn Jillette).
The famous magic and comedy duo, Penn & Teller relies on Penn doing the talking while Teller stands by silently ready to do whatever Penn needs him to do. The tall Penn and the short Teller make a sort of Mutt and Jeff pair that works quite well on stage and on film. They have starred on Broadway, in Las Vegas, on tour across the country, and on television and film. They have even appeared in cartoons and music videos.
3. Ed McMahon (Johnny Carson).
Carson hosted The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, ruling the late night television airwaves. McMahon opened the show with his famous “Heeeeerrrreees Johnny!” and served as the foil for Carson’s jokes. McMahon was a popular part of the show and his infectious laughter helped sell Carson’s laugh lines. McMahon is probably the most famous television sidekick of all time.
2. Joe Frazier (Muhammed Ali).
Every superhero needs a super nemesis, and Ali had his in Joe Frazier. It did not start that way, for before their first fight they were on a friendly basis, with Joe lending Ali money and speaking out on his behalf while Ali faced suspension from boxing and legal troubles for refusing to be drafted. Once the first fight was announced, Ali became verbally abusive toward Frazier, calling him an “Uncle Tom” while Ali represented black people. This accusation hurt Frazier deeply, and resulted in death threats toward him and the bullying of his children. Frazier won their first fight, with Ali loudly claiming Ali really won, and the white man gave the fight to Frazier. Ali won the next 2 fights, and the 3 fights are among the most famous in boxing history. Ali apologized in 2001 in a newspaper article, but Frazier scoffed at it because it was not in person. Ali then called him a gorilla. Ali was there in 2011 to pay respects at Frazier’s funeral, although Frazier had said that the debilitating Parkinson’s disease Ali suffers from is divine retribution. Ali would never have achieved as high a level of fame without Joe Frazier. (Note: The only 2 fighters to ever beat Frazier were Ali and George Foreman.)
1. Pierre Curie (Marie Curie).
Born Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, Poland, Madame Curie married Pierre in 1895 in a civil ceremony in Paris. (They were non-religious.) Pierre had been a professor at the University of Paris and he encouraged Marie (as she was called in France) to finish her PhD at that school. Probably the greatest female scientist in history, Marie was greatly encouraged by and given opportunities by Pierre at a time when most women scientists were not taken seriously. With Pierre’s support Marie won 2 Nobel Prizes, the first in Physics and the next in Chemistry, making her the only woman to have won two Nobel Prizes and the only person to win 2 in different categories. Pierre died in 1906 when he was run over by a horse drawn wagon.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Do you have a sidekick?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Rothel, David. Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks. Empire Pub, 2001.
Rothman, Julia and Jenny Volvovski. The Who, the What, and the When: 65 Artists Illustrate the Secret Sidekicks of History. Chronicle Books, 2014.
