Biography

William Thomas Johnson was a star performer at the University of Maryland, College Park, performing for the school's Footlight Club and graduating with an engineering degree in 1936. He was nicknamed "Bing" by his classmates due to his singing ability. Upon graduation he got a job at NBC as a singer on a radio show featuring Dinah Shore. After a brief mid-1940s spell in Hollywood, including 1945's "Keep Your Powder Dry," Johnson returned to Broadway, where in 1955-1956 he played "Doc" in Rodgers and Hammerstein's final musical, "Pipe Dream," for which received a Tony nomination. Johnson died suddenly of a heart attack in 1957.
- IMDb mini biography by: MrArchivist

Johnson was also a charter member of the Broadway Show League, Broadway's competitive softball league, established in 1955. After his death in March 1957 the BSL announced that they would create their first MVP award and name it for Johnson.