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{{Short description|American dancer, actor, choreographer and singer}}
{{Short description|American dancer, actor, and singer (1946–2003)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Gregory Hines
| name = Gregory Hines
| image = Gregory Hines 1993.jpg
| image = Gregory Hines 1993.jpg
| caption = Hines in 1993
| caption = Hines in 1993
| birth_name = Gregory Oliver Hines
| birth_name = Gregory Oliver Hines
| birth_date = {{birth date|1946|02|14}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1946|02|14}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|08|09|1946|02|14}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|08|09|1946|02|14}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| resting_place = Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery <br> [[Oakville, Ontario|Oakville]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| resting_place = [[St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery|Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery]]<br> [[Oakville, Ontario]], Canada
| occupation = {{flatlist|
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Dancer
* Dancer
* Actor
* actor
* choreographer
* Choreographer
* Singer}}
* singer}}
| years_active = 1951–2003
| years_active = 1948–2003
| spouse = Patricia Panella <br> (m. 1968; div. 19??) <br> {{marriage|Pamela Koslow|1981|2000|end=divorced}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Patricia Panella|1968|1972|end=divorced}}
⚫
| partner = [[Negrita Jayde]] <br> (2000–2003)
* {{marriage|Pamela Koslow|1981|2000|end=divorced}}
⚫
| children = 2
}}
⚫
| relatives = [[Maurice Hines]] (brother)
⚫
| partner = [[Negrita Jayde]] <br> (2000–2003)
⚫
| children = 2
⚫
| relatives = [[Maurice Hines]] (brother)
}}
}}


'''Gregory Oliver Hines''' (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated [[tap dance]]rs of all time, and is best known for ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984), ''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]'' (1986), and ''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]'' (1997-1998).
'''Gregory Oliver Hines''' (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated [[tap dance]]rs of all time. As an actor, he is best known for ''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' (1981), ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984), ''[[White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]'' (1985), ''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]'' (1986), ''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]'' (1997–1998), playing Ben on ''[[Will & Grace]]'' (1999–2000), and for voicing Big Bill on the [[Nick Jr.]] animated children's television program ''[[Little Bill]]'' (1999–2004).


Hines starred in more than forty films and also made his mark on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] during his lifetime. He was the recipient of many accolades, including a [[Daytime Emmy Award]], a [[Drama Desk Award]], and a [[Tony Award]], as well as nominations for a [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]] and four [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s.
Hines starred in more than 40 films and also appeared on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. He received many accolades, including a [[Daytime Emmy Award]], a [[Drama Desk Award]], and a [[Tony Award]], as well as nominations for a [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]] and four [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Gregory Hines was born in [[New York City]] on February 14, 1946 to Alma Iola (Lawless) and Maurice Robert Hines, a dancer, musician, and actor, and grew up in the [[Sugar Hill, Manhattan|Sugar Hill]] neighborhood of [[Manhattan]]'s [[Harlem]].<ref name=Telegraph2003 /> Hines began [[Tap dance|tap dancing]] when he was two years old, and began dancing semiprofessionally at age five. After that, he and his older brother [[Maurice Hines|Maurice]] performed together, studying with choreographer [[Henry LeTang]].
Hines was born in New York City, on February 14, 1946, to Alma Iola (Lawless) and Maurice Robert Hines, a dancer, musician, and actor, and grew up in the [[Sugar Hill, Manhattan|Sugar Hill]] neighborhood of [[Harlem]].<ref name=Telegraph2003 /> He began [[Tap dance|tap dancing]] when he was two years old, and began dancing semi-professionally at age five. After that, he and his older brother [[Maurice Hines|Maurice]] performed together, studying with choreographer [[Henry LeTang]].


Gregory and Maurice also studied with veteran tap dancers, such as [[Howard Sims]] and The [[Nicholas Brothers]] when they performed at the same venues. The two brothers were known as The Hines Kids, making nightclub appearances at venues in [[Miami]], [[Florida]], with [[Cab Calloway]].<ref>{{Cite news| last= Wadler|first=Joyce|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1985/02/24/hines-on-tap/22fbd9ca-fa60-4455-ba9a-49a7f0ed223e/|title=Hines on Tap| date= February 24, 1985 |work=[[The Washington Post]]|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> They were later known as "The Hines Brothers."
Gregory and Maurice also studied with veteran tap dancers such as [[Howard Sims]] and The [[Nicholas Brothers]] when they performed at the same venues. The brothers were known as The Hines Kids, making nightclub appearances at venues in Miami, Florida, with [[Cab Calloway]].<ref>{{cite news| last=Wadler| first=Joyce| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1985/02/24/hines-on-tap/22fbd9ca-fa60-4455-ba9a-49a7f0ed223e/| title=Hines on Tap| date=February 24, 1985| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| language=en-US| issn=0190-8286| url-access=subscription}}</ref> They were later known as The Hines Brothers.


When their father joined the act as a drummer, the name changed again in 1963, to ''Hines, Hines, and Dad''.<ref name=Telegraph2003>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1438569/Gregory-Hines.html |title= Gregory Hines, obituary |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=August 12, 2003|access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref>
When their father joined the act as a drummer, their name changed again in 1963 to ''Hines, Hines, and Dad''.<ref name=Telegraph2003>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1438569/Gregory-Hines.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603182440/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1438569/Gregory-Hines.html |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title= Gregory Hines, obituary |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |date=August 12, 2003 |access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Gregory Hines| url=https://www.biography.com/performer/gregory-hines| access-date=September 15, 2021| website=[[Biography (TV program)|Biography]]| date=September 23, 2020| language=en-us}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==


===Tap dance===
===Tap dance===
Hines was an avid improviser of tap steps, tap sounds, and tap rhythms alike. His improvisation was like that of a drummer, doing a solo and coming up with rhythms. He also improvised the phrasing of a number of tap steps, mainly based on sound produced. A laid-back dancer, he usually wore loose fitting pants and a tighter shirt.<ref>{{cite book|title=Gregory Hines|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z91lXa4yuE4C&q=gregory+hines+dancing+loose+clothes&pg=PA27|first1=Dennis|last1=Abrams|first2=Gina|last2=De Angelis|isbn=978-0791097182|date=April 1, 2008|publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]]|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref>
Hines was an avid improviser of tap steps, tap sounds, and tap rhythms alike. His improvisation was like that of a drummer, doing a solo and coming up with rhythms. He also improvised the phrasing of a number of tap steps, mainly to fit the unfolding sound. A laid-back dancer, he usually wore loose-fitting pants and a tighter shirt.<ref>{{cite book| title=Gregory Hines| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z91lXa4yuE4C&q=gregory+hines+dancing+loose+clothes&pg=PA27| first1=Dennis| last1=Abrams| first2=Gina| last2=De Angelis| isbn=978-0-7910-9718-2| date=April 1, 2008| publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]]| access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref>


Although he inherited the roots and tradition of the black rhythmic tap, he also promoted the new black rhythmic tap. "He purposely obliterated the tempos," wrote tap historian Sally Sommer, "throwing down a cascade of taps like pebbles tossed across the floor. In that moment, he aligned tap with the latest free form experiments in jazz and new music and postmodern dance."<ref name=nypl>{{cite web|last=Valis Hill|first=Constance| title=Biography of Gregory Hines | publisher=[[New York Public Library]] |url=https://www.nypl.org/node/70548|access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>
Although he inherited the roots and tradition of the black rhythmic tap, he also promoted the new black rhythmic tap. "He purposely obliterated the tempos," wrote tap historian Sally Sommer, "throwing down a cascade of taps like pebbles tossed across the floor. In that moment, he aligned tap with the latest free form experiments in jazz and new music and postmodern dance."<ref name=nypl>{{cite web| last=Valis Hill| first=Constance| title=Biography of Gregory Hines| website=[[New York Public Library]]| url=https://www.nypl.org/node/70548| access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>


Throughout his career, Hines wanted and continued to be an advocate for tap in America. He successfully petitioned the creation of [[National Tap Dance Day]] in May 1989, which is now celebrated in forty cities in the United States, as well as eight other nations. He was on the board of directors of Manhattan Tap, a member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and a member of the [[American Tap Dance Foundation]], which was formerly called the American Tap Dance Orchestra.
Throughout his career, Hines wanted and continued to be an advocate for tap in America. He successfully petitioned the creation of [[National Tap Dance Day]] in May 1989, which is now celebrated in forty cities in the United States, as well as eight other nations. He was on the board of directors of Manhattan Tap, a member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and a member of the [[American Tap Dance Foundation]], which was formerly called the American Tap Dance Orchestra.


In 1989, he created and hosted a PBS special called "Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America," which featured various tap dancers such as [[Savion Glover]] and [[Bunny Briggs]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Mervyn |last= Rothstein |title=The Man in the Dancing Shoes |url=http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,63,00.html |work=[[Cigar Aficionado]] |date=September 1, 1992 |access-date=May 25, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008115337/http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,63,00.html | archive-date=October 8, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=nyplcatalog>{{cite web|title=Tap: With Gregory Hines|url=http://catalog.nypl.org/record=b12168289~S1|publisher=[[New York Public Library]]|access-date=April 23, 2013}}</ref>
In 1989, he created and hosted a PBS special called ''Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America'', which featured various tap dancers such as [[Savion Glover]] and [[Bunny Briggs]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Mervyn |last=Rothstein |title=The Man in the Dancing Shoes |url=http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,63,00.html |magazine=[[Cigar Aficionado]] |date=September 1, 1992 |access-date=May 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008115337/http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,63,00.html |archive-date=October 8, 2009 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=nyplcatalog>{{cite book| title=Tap: With Gregory Hines| year=1989| url=http://catalog.nypl.org/record=b12168289~S1| website=New York Public Library| publisher=WNET/New York| access-date=April 23, 2013}}</ref>


In 1990, Hines visited his idol (and ''Tap'' co-star) [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], who was dying of [[Esophageal cancer|throat cancer]] and was unable to speak. After Davis died, an emotional Hines spoke at Davis's funeral of how Sammy had made a gesture to him, "as if passing a basketball … and I caught it." Hines spoke of the honor that Sammy thought that Hines could carry on from where he left off.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gregory Hines Interview |url=http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/Pages/read/hines/hines.htm |publisher=The Sammy Davis, Jr. Association |year=1992 |access-date=June 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513180559/http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/Pages/read/hines/hines.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2008}}</ref>
In 1990, Hines visited his idol (and ''Tap'' co-star) [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], who was dying of [[Esophageal cancer|throat cancer]] and was unable to speak. After Davis died, an emotional Hines spoke at Davis' funeral of how Davis made a gesture to him, "as if passing a basketball ... and I caught it." Hines spoke of how honored he had been that Davis thought that he could carry on from where Davis left off.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gregory Hines Interview |url=http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/Pages/read/hines/hines.htm |website=The Sammy Davis, Jr. Association |year=1992 |access-date=June 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513180559/http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/Pages/read/hines/hines.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2008}}</ref>


Through his teaching, he influenced tap dancers such as [[Savion Glover]], [[Dianne Walker]], [[Ted Louis Levy|Ted Levy]], and Jane Goldberg.<ref name=nypl/> In an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'' in 1988, Hines said that everything he did was influenced by his dancing: "my singing, my acting, my lovemaking, my being a parent."<ref name=nypl/>
Through his teaching, he influenced tap dancers such as [[Savion Glover]], [[Dianne Walker]], [[Ted Louis Levy|Ted Levy]], and [[Jane Goldberg]].<ref name=nypl/> In an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'' in 1988, Hines said that everything he did was influenced by his dancing: "my singing, my acting, my lovemaking, my being a parent."<ref name=nypl/>


===Stage acting===
===Stage acting===
Hines made his [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut with his brother in ''[[The Girl in Pink Tights]]'' in 1954. He earned [[Tony Award]] nominations for ''[[Eubie!]]'' (1979), ''Comin' Uptown'' (1980), and ''[[Sophisticated Ladies]]'' (1981), and won the Tony Award and [[Drama Desk Award]] for ''[[Jelly's Last Jam]]'' (1992) and the [[Theatre World Award]] for ''Eubie!''.
Hines made his [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut with his brother in ''[[The Girl in Pink Tights]]'' in 1954. He earned [[Tony Award]] nominations for ''[[Eubie!]]'' (1979), ''Comin' Uptown'' (1980), and ''[[Sophisticated Ladies]]'' (1981), and won the Tony Award and [[Drama Desk Award]] for ''[[Jelly's Last Jam]]'' (1992) and the [[Theatre World Award]] for ''Eubie!''.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}


===Music===
===Music===
Hines performed as the lead singer and musician in a rock band called Severance based in [[Venice, Los Angeles]] in 1975 and 1976. Severance was one of the house bands at an original music club called Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, otherwise known as the 4H Club. Severance released their self-titled debut album on Largo Records (a subsidiary of GNP Crescendo) in 1976.
Hines performed as the lead singer and musician in a rock band called Severance based in [[Venice, Los Angeles]] in 1975 and 1976. Severance was one of the house bands at an original music club called Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, otherwise known as the 4H Club. Severance released their self-titled debut album on Largo Records (a subsidiary of GNP Crescendo) in 1976.


In 1986, he sang a duet with [[Luther Vandross]] called "[[There's Nothing Better Than Love]]", which reached the No. 1 position on the [[Billboard R&B charts|''Billboard'' R&B charts]].<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=luther vandross|chart=all}} Luther Vandross Chart History]</ref> Encouraged by his first success with the duet, Hines finally released self-titled debut album on Epic in 1988 with support of Vandross. The album produced a Vandross-penned single "That Girl Wants to Dance with Me", which peaked at #8 on Billboard Hot 100 on May 1988. <ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Gregory hines|chart=all}} Gregory Hines Chart History]</ref>
In 1986, he sang a duet with [[Luther Vandross]] called "[[There's Nothing Better Than Love]]", which reached the No. 1 position on the [[Billboard R&B charts|''Billboard'' R&B charts]].<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=luther vandross|chart=all}} Luther Vandross Chart History]</ref> Encouraged by his first success on the chart, Hines subsequently released his self-titled debut album on Epic in 1988 with much support of Vandross. This album produced a Vandross-penned single "That Girl Wants to Dance with Me", which peaked at #6 on the R&B charts in June 1988.<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Gregory hines|chart=all}} Gregory Hines Chart History]</ref><ref>[https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Gregory+Hines&tab=songchartstab&sort=songdown&filter=all Gregory Hines songs Top Songs/Chart Singles Discography @musicvf.com] Retrieved 15 December 2023.</ref>


===Film and television===
===Film and television===
In 1981, Hines made his movie debut in [[Mel Brooks]]'s ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'', replacing [[Richard Pryor]], who had originally been cast in the role but suffered severe burns in a house fire just days before he was due to begin shooting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/12/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|title=Gregory Hines|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Terry|last=Monaghan|date=August 12, 2003|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref><ref name="world">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/07/movies/the-world-according-to-mel-brooks.html|title=The World According to Mel Brooks|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Mel|last=Brooks|date=June 7, 1981|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> [[Madeline Kahn]], also starring in the film, suggested to director Mel Brooks that he look into Hines for the role after they learned of Pryor's hospitalization.<ref name="world" /> He appeared in the [[horror film]] ''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' later that year.
In 1981, Hines made his movie debut in [[Mel Brooks]]'s ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'', replacing [[Richard Pryor]], who was originally cast in the role but sustained severe burns just days before he was due to begin shooting.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/12/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries| title=Gregory Hines| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=London| first=Terry| last=Monaghan| date=August 12, 2003| access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref><ref name="world">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/07/movies/the-world-according-to-mel-brooks.html| title=The World According to Mel Brooks| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| first=Mel| last=Brooks| date=June 7, 1981| access-date=March 31, 2020| url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Madeline Kahn]], also starring in the film, suggested to director Mel Brooks that he look into Hines for the role after they learned of Pryor's hospitalization.<ref name="world" /> He also appeared in the [[horror film]] ''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' later that year.


Hines's peak as an actor came in the mid-1980s. He had a large role in ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984), where he and his brother Maurice (in Maurice's sole film credit) played a 1930s tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the [[Nicholas Brothers]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Coppola's Cotton Club Encore Remakes American Entertainment |url=https://news.yahoo.com/coppola-cotton-club-encore-remakes-222448254.html |first=Armond |last=White |date=October 23, 2019 |work=National Review}}</ref> Hines co-starred with [[Mikhail Baryshnikov]] in the 1985 film ''[[White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]'', and co-starred with [[Billy Crystal]] in the 1986 [[buddy cop film]] ''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]''. He starred in the 1989 film ''[[Tap (film)|Tap]]'' opposite [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] (in Davis's last screen performance). He appeared alongside [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Loretta Devine]] in the highly successful 1995 film ''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' and opposite Houston, [[Denzel Washington]] and [[Courtney B. Vance]] the following year in ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]''. On television, he starred in his own [[sitcom]] in 1997, ''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]'', which ran for one season on [[CBS]], and had a recurring role of [[Supporting characters on Will & Grace#Other supporting characters|Ben Doucette]] on ''[[Will & Grace]]''.
Hines' peak as an actor came in the mid-1980s. He had a large role in ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984), where he and his brother Maurice (in his sole film credit) played a 1930s tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the [[Nicholas Brothers]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coppola's Cotton Club Encore Remakes American Entertainment |url=https://news.yahoo.com/coppola-cotton-club-encore-remakes-222448254.html |first=Armond |last=White |date=October 23, 2019 |magazine=[[National Review]]}}</ref> Hines co-starred with [[Mikhail Baryshnikov]] in the 1985 film ''[[White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]'', and co-starred with [[Billy Crystal]] in the 1986 [[buddy cop film]] ''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]''. He starred in the 1989 film ''[[Tap (film)|Tap]]'' opposite [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] (in Davis' last screen performance). He appeared alongside [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Loretta Devine]] in the highly successful 1995 film ''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' and opposite Houston, [[Denzel Washington]] and [[Courtney B. Vance]] the following year in ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]''. On television, he starred in his own sitcom in 1997, ''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]'', which ran for one season on [[CBS]], and had a recurring role of [[Supporting characters on Will & Grace#Other supporting characters|Ben Doucette]] on ''[[Will & Grace]]''.


In an interview in 1987, Hines said that he often looked for roles written for white actors, "preferring their greater scope and dynamics." Of his role in ''Running Scared'', for example, he said that he enjoyed that his character had sex scenes, because "usually, the black guy has no sexuality at all."<ref>Gregory Hines: a dancer hits the screen and gets the girls: [FINAL Edition]
In an interview in 1987, Hines said that he often looked for roles written for white actors, "preferring their greater scope and dynamics." Of his role in ''Running Scared'', for example, he said that he enjoyed that his character had sex scenes, because "usually, the black guy has no sexuality at all."<ref>{{cite news| title=Gregory Hines: a dancer hits the screen and gets the girls| first=Philip| last=Wuntch| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-gregory-hines-in-run/126104717/| agency=[[Dallas Morning News]]| newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]]| date=June 30, 1986| page=D10| url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Philip Wuntch Dallas Morning News. The Citizen; Ottawa, Ont. [Ottawa, Ont]30 June 1986: D10.</ref>


Hines starred in the 1998 film ''[[The Tic Code]]''. He voiced Big Bill in the [[Nick Jr.]] animated children series ''[[Little Bill]]'', which ran from 1999 to 2004. He won the [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] for the role in 2003.
Hines starred in the 1998 film ''[[The Tic Code]]''. He voiced Big Bill in the [[Nick Jr. Channel]]'s animated children series ''[[Little Bill]]'', which ran from 1999 to 2004. He won the [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] for the role in 2003.


===Other===
===Other===
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==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Hines's marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow ended in divorce. He had two children, a son named Zach and a daughter named Daria, as well as a stepdaughter named Jessica Koslow, and a grandson.<ref name=dunning>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/arts/gregory-hines-versatile-dancer-and-actor-dies-at-57.html|title=Gregory Hines, Versatile Dancer and Actor, Dies at 57|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Jennifer|last=Dunning|date=August 11, 2003|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref>
Hines' marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow ended in divorce.<ref name=dunning>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/arts/gregory-hines-versatile-dancer-and-actor-dies-at-57.html |title=Gregory Hines, Versatile Dancer and Actor, Dies at 57 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |first=Jennifer |last=Dunning |date=August 11, 2003 |access-date=March 31, 2020 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He had a daughter, Daria, with Panella, and a son, Zachary, with Koslow.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1990/06/17/dads-in-the-limelight|title=Dads in the Limelight|first=Glenn|last=Plaskin|date=June 17, 1990|work=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> For the last three years of his life, he was engaged to bodybuilder [[Negrita Jayde]], who was based in [[Toronto]].<ref name=dunning />


==Death==
==Death==
Hines died of [[hepatocellular carcinoma|liver cancer]] on August 9, 2003, en route to the hospital from his home in Los Angeles. He had been diagnosed with the disease more than one year earlier, but informed only his closest friends. At the time of his death, production of the television show ''[[Little Bill]]'' was ending, and he was engaged to female bodybuilder [[Negrita Jayde]], who was based in [[Toronto]].<ref name=dunning /> Hines is buried at [[St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery]] in [[Oakville, Ontario]].<ref name=cbc>{{cite news |title=Gregory Hines buried in Oakville City, Ontario |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2003/08/18/hines_oakville030818.html |work=[[CBC News]] |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref>
Hines died of [[hepatocellular carcinoma|liver cancer]] on August 9, 2003, en route to a hospital from his home in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with the disease a year earlier, but informed only his closest friends. At the time of his death, production of the television show ''[[Little Bill]]'' was ending. He was survived by his fiancée Jayde, children Daria and Zachary, ex-stepdaughter Jessica, and grandson Lucian.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tap Dance Idol Gregory Hines, Star of TV, Stage And Screen, Dies|date=August 25, 2003|work=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|page=59|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA59}}</ref>


His funeral was held at [[St. Monica Catholic Church (Santa Monica, California)|St. Monica Catholic Church]] in [[Santa Monica, California]]. He was buried at [[St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery|St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery]] in [[Oakville, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pallbearers carry the coffin of Gregory Hines' at the memorial... |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pallbearers-carry-the-coffin-of-gregory-hines-at-the-news-photo/2398486 |access-date=January 24, 2022 |website=Getty Images |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name="cbc">{{cite news |title=Gregory Hines buried in Oakville City, Ontario |url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.374725 |work=[[CBC News]] |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref>
⚫
Jayde died of cancer on August 28, 2009, at the age of 51, just weeks after holding the sixth annual memorial/celebration to Hines.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=negrita-maria-jayde-truszyk&pid=132098159&fhid=7524 |title=Negrita Maria Jayde Obituary|work=[[Toronto Star]]|date=August 31, 2009}}</ref> On January 28, 2019, the [[United States Postal Service]] honored Hines with a postage stamp, issued with a ceremony at the [[Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts]]. The stamp is part of its Black Heritage Series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2019/0128-new-forever-stamp-features-dancer-actor-gregory-hines.htm |title=Gregory Hines As Honoree on New Forever Stamp |work=[[United States Postal Service]]|date=January 28, 2019}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
⚫
On January 28, 2019, the [[United States Postal Service]] honored Hines with a postage stamp as part of its Black Heritage Series. It was issued with a ceremony at the [[Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2019/0128-new-forever-stamp-features-dancer-actor-gregory-hines.htm |title=Gregory Hines As Honoree on New Forever Stamp |publisher=United States Postal Service |date=January 28, 2019}}</ref>


==Awards and nominations==
==Awards and nominations==
'''Awards'''
'''Awards'''
*1979 [[Theatre World Award]]—''[[Eubie!]]''
*1979 [[Theatre World Award]] – ''[[Eubie!]]''
*1988 [[Image Awards]] Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture — ''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]''
*1988 [[Image Awards]] Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – ''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]''
*1992 [[Tony Award]] for Best Actor in a Musical — ''[[Jelly's Last Jam]]''
*1992 [[Tony Award]] for Best Actor in a Musical – ''[[Jelly's Last Jam]]''
*1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical — ''Jelly's Last Jam''
*1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical – ''Jelly's Last Jam''
*1998 Flo-Bert Award — Lifetime Achievement in Tap Dance by the New York Committee to Celebrate National Tap Dance Day
*1998 Flo-Bert Award – Lifetime Achievement in Tap Dance by the New York Committee to Celebrate National Tap Dance Day
*2002 Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini Series or Dramatic Special — ''[[Bojangles (film)|Bojangles]]''
*2002 Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini Series or Dramatic Special – ''[[Bojangles (film)|Bojangles]]''
*[[30th Daytime Emmy Awards|2003]] [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program|Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] — ''[[Little Bill]]''
*[[30th Daytime Emmy Awards|2003]] [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program|Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] – ''[[Little Bill]]''


'''Nominations'''
'''Nominations'''
Line 92: Line 97:
* 1980 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical—''Comin' Uptown''
* 1980 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical—''Comin' Uptown''
* 1981 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical—''Sophisticated Ladies''
* 1981 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical—''Sophisticated Ladies''
*[[34th Primetime Emmy Awards|1982]] [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Individual Achievement—Special Class—''I Love Liberty''
* [[34th Primetime Emmy Awards|1982]] [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Individual Achievement—Special Class—''I Love Liberty''
*[[37th Primetime Emmy Awards|1985]] [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program]]—''Motown Returns to the Apollo''
* [[37th Primetime Emmy Awards|1985]] Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program]]—''Motown Returns to the Apollo''
*[[41st Primetime Emmy Awards|1989]] [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series|Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program]]—''[[Great Performances]]: Tap Dance in America ''
* [[41st Primetime Emmy Awards|1989]] Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series|Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program]]—''[[Great Performances]]: Tap Dance in America ''
* 1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography—''Jelly's Last Jam''
* 1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography—''Jelly's Last Jam''
* 1992 Tony Award for Best Choreography—''Jelly's Last Jam''
* 1992 Tony Award for Best Choreography—''Jelly's Last Jam''
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* 1998 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series—''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]''
* 1998 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series—''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]''
* 2001 Black Reel Awards Network/Cable Best Actor—''Bojangles''
* 2001 Black Reel Awards Network/Cable Best Actor—''Bojangles''
*[[53rd Primetime Emmy Awards|2001]] [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]—''[[Bojangles (film)|Bojangles]]''
* [[53rd Primetime Emmy Awards|2001]] Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]—''[[Bojangles (film)|Bojangles]]''
* 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries—''Bojangles''
* 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries—''Bojangles''
*[[30th Daytime Emmy Awards|2003]] [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special—''[[The Red Sneakers]]''
* [[30th Daytime Emmy Awards|2003]] Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special—''[[The Red Sneakers]]''
*[[30th Daytime Emmy Awards|2003]] [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special—''[[The Red Sneakers]]''
* 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special—''The Red Sneakers''


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
{{Div col}}
{{Div col}}
*''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]'' (1968) — Child Extra
*''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]'' (1968) – Child Extra
*''[[History of the World, Part I]]'' (1981) — Josephus
*''[[Sesame Street]]'' (TV) (1979–1980) – Himself
*''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' (1981) — Coroner Whittington
*''[[History of the World, Part I]]'' (1981) – Josephus
*''[[Deal of the Century]]'' (1983) — Ray Kasternak
*''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' (1981) – Coroner Whittington
*''[[The Muppets Take Manhattan]]'' (1984) — Roller Skater
*''[[Deal of the Century]]'' (1983) – Ray Kasternak
*''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984) — 'Sandman' Williams
*''[[The Muppets Take Manhattan]]'' (1984) – Roller Skater
*''[[White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]'' (1985) — Raymond Greenwood
*''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984) – 'Sandman' Williams
*''[[White Nights (1985 film)|White Nights]]'' (1985) – Raymond Greenwood
*''[[Faerie Tale Theatre]]:'' "[[Puss in Boots (Faerie Tale Theatre episode)|Puss in Boots]]" (1985) — Edgar
*''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]'': (TV) "The Amazing Falsworth"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511119/|title=The Amazing Falsworth|date=November 5, 1985|publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref> (1985) — Falsworth
*''[[Faerie Tale Theatre]]:'' "[[Puss in Boots (Faerie Tale Theatre episode)|Puss in Boots]]" (1985) – Edgar
*''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]'': (TV) "The Amazing Falsworth"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511119/|title=The Amazing Falsworth|date=November 5, 1985|publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref> (1985) – Falsworth
*''About Tap'' (1985) — Himself
*''About Tap'' (1985) – Himself
*''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]'' (1986) — Detective Ray Hughes
*''[[Running Scared (1986 film)|Running Scared]]'' (1986) – Detective Ray Hughes
*''[[Off Limits (1988 film)|Off Limits]]'' (1988) — Albaby Perkins
*''[[Off Limits (1988 film)|Off Limits]]'' (1988) – Albaby Perkins
*''[[Tap (film)|Tap]]'' (1989) — Max Washington
*''[[Tap (film)|Tap]]'' (1989) – Max Washington
*''Gregory Hines' Saigon'' (1987) — Himself
*''Gregory Hines' Saigon'' (1987) – Himself
*''Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America'' (1989) — Himself
*''Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America'' (1989) – Himself
*''[[Eve of Destruction (film)|Eve of Destruction]]'' (1991) — Colonel Jim McQuade
*''[[Eve of Destruction (film)|Eve of Destruction]]'' (1991) – Colonel Jim McQuade
*''[[A Rage in Harlem]]'' (1991) — 'Goldy'
*''[[A Rage in Harlem]]'' (1991) – 'Goldy'
*''White Lie'' (1991) — Len Madison Jr.
*''White Lie'' (1991) – Len Madison Jr.
*''[[T Bone N Weasel]]'' (1992) — 'T-Bone'
*''[[T Bone N Weasel]]'' (1992) – 'T-Bone'
*''Dead Air'' (1994) — Mark Jannek / Jim Sheppard
*''Dead Air'' (1994) – Mark Jannek / Jim Sheppard
*''[[Renaissance Man (film)|Renaissance Man]]'' (1994) — Sergeant Cass
*''[[Renaissance Man (film)|Renaissance Man]]'' (1994) – Sergeant Cass
*''Kangaroo Court'' (1994)
*''Kangaroo Court'' (1994)
*''[[Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]]'' (1995, Episode "Beauty and the Beast") — The Beast / Prince Koro (voice)
*''[[Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]]'' (1995, Episode "Beauty and the Beast") – The Beast / Prince Koro (voice)
*''A Stranger in Town'' (1995) — Barnes
*''A Stranger in Town'' (1995) – Barnes
*''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' (1995) — Marvin King
*''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' (1995) – Marvin King
*''[[Good Luck (1996 film)|Good Luck]]'' (1996) — Bernard 'Bern' Lemley
*''[[Good Luck (1996 film)|Good Luck]]'' (1996) – Bernard 'Bern' Lemley
*''[[Mad Dog Time]]'' (1996) — Jules Flamingo
*''[[Mad Dog Time]]'' (1996) – Jules Flamingo
*''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'' (1996) — Joe Hamilton
*''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'' (1996) – Joe Hamilton
*''[[The Cherokee Kid]]'' (1996) - Jedediah Turner / The Undertaker
*''[[The Cherokee Kid]]'' (1996) – Jedediah Turner / The Undertaker
*''[[Subway Stories]]: Tales From the Underground'' (1997) — Jack (segment "Manhattan Miracle")
*''[[Subway Stories]]: Tales From the Underground'' (1997) – Jack (segment "Manhattan Miracle")
*''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]'' (1997 to 1998) — Ben Stevenson
*''[[The Gregory Hines Show]]'' (1997 to 1998) – Ben Stevenson
*''[[Blue's Clues]]'' (1999, Episode ''Blue's Big Treasure Hunt'') — Jack
*''[[Blue's Clues]]'' (1999, Episode ''Blue's Big Treasure Hunt'') – Jack
*''[[The Tic Code]]'' (1999) — Tyrone Pike
*''[[The Tic Code]]'' (1999) – Tyrone Pike
*''[[Will & Grace]]'' (TV) (1999 to 2000) — Ben Doucette
*''[[Will & Grace]]'' (TV) (1999 to 2000) – Ben Doucette
*''[[Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her]]'' (2000) — Robert (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca")
*''[[Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her]]'' (2000) – Robert (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca")
*''[[Who Killed Atlanta's Children?]]'' (TV) (2000) — Ron Larson
*''[[Who Killed Atlanta's Children?]]'' (TV) (2000) – Ron Larson
*''[[Once in the Life]]'' (2000) — Ruffhouse
*''[[Once in the Life]]'' (2000) – Ruffhouse
*''[[Bojangles (film)|Bojangles]]'' (2001) — Bojangles
*''[[Bojangles (film)|Bojangles]]'' (2001) – Bojangles
*''Venice: Lost and Found'' (2002) — Himself
*''Venice: Lost and Found'' (2002) – Himself
*''[[The Red Sneakers]]'' (TV) (2002) — Zeke
*''[[The Red Sneakers]]'' (TV) (2002) – Zeke
*''[[Law & Order]]'': (TV) "Suicide Box" (2003) — Carl Helpert
*''[[Law & Order]]'': (TV) "Suicide Box" (2003) – Carl Helpert
*''[[Lost at Home]]'': (TV) (2003) — Jordan King
*''[[Lost at Home]]'': (TV) (2003) – Jordan King
*''The Root'' (2003)
*''The Root'' (2003)
*''[[Little Bill]]'' (TV) (1999 to 2004, until his death) — Bill 'Big Bill' (final television appearance)
*''[[Little Bill]]'' (TV) (1999 to 2004, until his death) – Bill 'Big Bill' (final television appearance)
*''Keeping Time: The Life, Music & Photography of Milt Hinton'' (2004) — Himself
*''Keeping Time: The Life, Music & Photography of Milt Hinton'' (2004) – Himself
*''The Best Musical Movie'' (2004) — Darrall Pumpkin (final film role; dedicated production){{Div col end}}
*''Love That Girl, Sally'' (2004) – Fred (final film role; dedicated production){{Div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of dancers]]


==References==
==References==
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030815092832/http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0333/jowitt3.php Tapping into history] [[Deborah Jowitt]], ''Village Voice'', August 2003.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030815092832/http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0333/jowitt3.php Tapping into history] [[Deborah Jowitt]], ''Village Voice'', August 2003.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070423055643/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/interactive/video/index.html#g TonyAwards.com Interview with Gregory Hines]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070423055643/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/interactive/video/index.html#g TonyAwards.com Interview with Gregory Hines]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120324054702/http://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/dance/gregory-hines-dianne-walker-jimmy-slyde?ref=artist&refcar=%2Fartist%2Fg-h Archival footage of Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker and [[Jimmy Slyde]] in 1996 at Jacob's Pillow]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120324054702/http://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/dance/gregory-hines-dianne-walker-jimmy-slyde?ref=artist&refcar=%2Fartist%2Fg-h Archival footage of Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker and Jimmy Slyde in 1996 at Jacob's Pillow]


{{Navboxes
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[[Category:1946 births]]
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[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American people]]
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[[Category:20th-century American educators]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century male singers]]
[[Category:People from Harlem]]
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[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
[[Category:African-American choreographers]]
[[Category:African-American choreographers]]
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[[Category:African-American male actors]]
[[Category:African-American male child actors]]
[[Category:African-American male child actors]]
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[[Category:American tap dancers]]
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[[Category:American dance teachers]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Deaths from liver cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from liver cancer in California]]
[[Category:Drama Desk Award winners]]
[[Category:Drama Desk Award winners]]
[[Category:Male actors from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Educators from New York City]]
[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]
[[Category:Male actors from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Musical theatre choreographers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Singers from New York City]]
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[[Category:Theatre World Award winners]]
[[Category:Theatre World Award winners]]

Latest revision as of 03:59, 23 December 2024

Gregory Hines
Hines in 1993
Born
Gregory Oliver Hines

(1946-02-14)February 14, 1946
New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2003(2003-08-09) (aged 57)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeSaint Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Occupations
  • Dancer
  • actor
  • choreographer
  • singer
Years active1948–2003
Spouses
Patricia Panella
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1972)​
Pamela Koslow
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 2000)​
Partner(s)Negrita Jayde
(2000–2003)
Children2
RelativesMaurice Hines (brother)

Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for Wolfen (1981), The Cotton Club (1984), White Nights (1985), Running Scared (1986), The Gregory Hines Show (1997–1998), playing Ben on Will & Grace (1999–2000), and for voicing Big Bill on the Nick Jr. animated children's television program Little Bill (1999–2004).

Hines starred in more than 40 films and also appeared on Broadway. He received many accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and four Primetime Emmy Awards.

Early life

[edit]

Hines was born in New York City, on February 14, 1946, to Alma Iola (Lawless) and Maurice Robert Hines, a dancer, musician, and actor, and grew up in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem.[1] He began tap dancing when he was two years old, and began dancing semi-professionally at age five. After that, he and his older brother Maurice performed together, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang.

Gregory and Maurice also studied with veteran tap dancers such as Howard Sims and The Nicholas Brothers when they performed at the same venues. The brothers were known as The Hines Kids, making nightclub appearances at venues in Miami, Florida, with Cab Calloway.[2] They were later known as The Hines Brothers.

When their father joined the act as a drummer, their name changed again in 1963 to Hines, Hines, and Dad.[1][3]

Career

[edit]

Tap dance

[edit]

Hines was an avid improviser of tap steps, tap sounds, and tap rhythms alike. His improvisation was like that of a drummer, doing a solo and coming up with rhythms. He also improvised the phrasing of a number of tap steps, mainly to fit the unfolding sound. A laid-back dancer, he usually wore loose-fitting pants and a tighter shirt.[4]

Although he inherited the roots and tradition of the black rhythmic tap, he also promoted the new black rhythmic tap. "He purposely obliterated the tempos," wrote tap historian Sally Sommer, "throwing down a cascade of taps like pebbles tossed across the floor. In that moment, he aligned tap with the latest free form experiments in jazz and new music and postmodern dance."[5]

Throughout his career, Hines wanted and continued to be an advocate for tap in America. He successfully petitioned the creation of National Tap Dance Day in May 1989, which is now celebrated in forty cities in the United States, as well as eight other nations. He was on the board of directors of Manhattan Tap, a member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and a member of the American Tap Dance Foundation, which was formerly called the American Tap Dance Orchestra.

In 1989, he created and hosted a PBS special called Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America, which featured various tap dancers such as Savion Glover and Bunny Briggs.[6][7]

In 1990, Hines visited his idol (and Tap co-star) Sammy Davis Jr., who was dying of throat cancer and was unable to speak. After Davis died, an emotional Hines spoke at Davis' funeral of how Davis made a gesture to him, "as if passing a basketball ... and I caught it." Hines spoke of how honored he had been that Davis thought that he could carry on from where Davis left off.[8]

Through his teaching, he influenced tap dancers such as Savion Glover, Dianne Walker, Ted Levy, and Jane Goldberg.[5] In an interview with The New York Times in 1988, Hines said that everything he did was influenced by his dancing: "my singing, my acting, my lovemaking, my being a parent."[5]

Stage acting

[edit]

Hines made his Broadway debut with his brother in The Girl in Pink Tights in 1954. He earned Tony Award nominations for Eubie! (1979), Comin' Uptown (1980), and Sophisticated Ladies (1981), and won the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Jelly's Last Jam (1992) and the Theatre World Award for Eubie!.[citation needed]

Music

[edit]

Hines performed as the lead singer and musician in a rock band called Severance based in Venice, Los Angeles in 1975 and 1976. Severance was one of the house bands at an original music club called Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, otherwise known as the 4H Club. Severance released their self-titled debut album on Largo Records (a subsidiary of GNP Crescendo) in 1976.

In 1986, he sang a duet with Luther Vandross called "There's Nothing Better Than Love", which reached the No. 1 position on the Billboard R&B charts.[9] Encouraged by his first success on the chart, Hines subsequently released his self-titled debut album on Epic in 1988 with much support of Vandross. This album produced a Vandross-penned single "That Girl Wants to Dance with Me", which peaked at #6 on the R&B charts in June 1988.[10][11]

Film and television

[edit]

In 1981, Hines made his movie debut in Mel Brooks's History of the World, Part I, replacing Richard Pryor, who was originally cast in the role but sustained severe burns just days before he was due to begin shooting.[12][13] Madeline Kahn, also starring in the film, suggested to director Mel Brooks that he look into Hines for the role after they learned of Pryor's hospitalization.[13] He also appeared in the horror film Wolfen later that year.

Hines' peak as an actor came in the mid-1980s. He had a large role in The Cotton Club (1984), where he and his brother Maurice (in his sole film credit) played a 1930s tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the Nicholas Brothers.[14] Hines co-starred with Mikhail Baryshnikov in the 1985 film White Nights, and co-starred with Billy Crystal in the 1986 buddy cop film Running Scared. He starred in the 1989 film Tap opposite Sammy Davis Jr. (in Davis' last screen performance). He appeared alongside Whitney Houston and Loretta Devine in the highly successful 1995 film Waiting to Exhale and opposite Houston, Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance the following year in The Preacher's Wife. On television, he starred in his own sitcom in 1997, The Gregory Hines Show, which ran for one season on CBS, and had a recurring role of Ben Doucette on Will & Grace.

In an interview in 1987, Hines said that he often looked for roles written for white actors, "preferring their greater scope and dynamics." Of his role in Running Scared, for example, he said that he enjoyed that his character had sex scenes, because "usually, the black guy has no sexuality at all."[15]

Hines starred in the 1998 film The Tic Code. He voiced Big Bill in the Nick Jr. Channel's animated children series Little Bill, which ran from 1999 to 2004. He won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for the role in 2003.

Other

[edit]

Hines co-hosted the Tony Awards ceremony in 1995 and 2002.

Personal life

[edit]

Hines' marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow ended in divorce.[16] He had a daughter, Daria, with Panella, and a son, Zachary, with Koslow.[17] For the last three years of his life, he was engaged to bodybuilder Negrita Jayde, who was based in Toronto.[16]

Death

[edit]

Hines died of liver cancer on August 9, 2003, en route to a hospital from his home in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with the disease a year earlier, but informed only his closest friends. At the time of his death, production of the television show Little Bill was ending. He was survived by his fiancée Jayde, children Daria and Zachary, ex-stepdaughter Jessica, and grandson Lucian.[18]

His funeral was held at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. He was buried at St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario.[19][20]

Legacy

[edit]

On January 28, 2019, the United States Postal Service honored Hines with a postage stamp as part of its Black Heritage Series. It was issued with a ceremony at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.[21]

Awards and nominations

[edit]

Awards

Nominations

Filmography

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Gregory Hines, obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. August 12, 2003. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  2. ^ Wadler, Joyce (February 24, 1985). "Hines on Tap". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  3. ^ "Gregory Hines". Biography. September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Abrams, Dennis; De Angelis, Gina (April 1, 2008). Gregory Hines. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7910-9718-2. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Valis Hill, Constance. "Biography of Gregory Hines". New York Public Library. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  6. ^ Rothstein, Mervyn (September 1, 1992). "The Man in the Dancing Shoes". Cigar Aficionado. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  7. ^ Tap: With Gregory Hines. WNET/New York. 1989. Retrieved April 23, 2013. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Gregory Hines Interview". The Sammy Davis, Jr. Association. 1992. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  9. ^ Luther Vandross Chart History
  10. ^ Gregory Hines Chart History
  11. ^ Gregory Hines songs Top Songs/Chart Singles Discography @musicvf.com Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  12. ^ Monaghan, Terry (August 12, 2003). "Gregory Hines". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Brooks, Mel (June 7, 1981). "The World According to Mel Brooks". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  14. ^ White, Armond (October 23, 2019). "Coppola's Cotton Club Encore Remakes American Entertainment". National Review.
  15. ^ Wuntch, Philip (June 30, 1986). "Gregory Hines: a dancer hits the screen and gets the girls". Ottawa Citizen. Dallas Morning News. p. D10.
  16. ^ a b Dunning, Jennifer (August 11, 2003). "Gregory Hines, Versatile Dancer and Actor, Dies at 57". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  17. ^ Plaskin, Glenn (June 17, 1990). "Dads in the Limelight". Tampa Bay Times.
  18. ^ "Tap Dance Idol Gregory Hines, Star of TV, Stage And Screen, Dies". Jet. August 25, 2003. p. 59.
  19. ^ "Pallbearers carry the coffin of Gregory Hines' at the memorial..." Getty Images. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  20. ^ "Gregory Hines buried in Oakville City, Ontario". CBC News. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  21. ^ "Gregory Hines As Honoree on New Forever Stamp" (Press release). United States Postal Service. January 28, 2019.
  22. ^ "The Amazing Falsworth". IMDb. November 5, 1985.
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