Gregory Hines

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Gregory Hines
Born Gregory Oliver Hines
February 14, 1946(1946-02-14)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died August 9, 2003(2003-08-09) (aged 57)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor, singer, dancer, choreographer
Years active 1954–2003
Spouse Pamela Koslow (1981-2000)
Patricia Panella (m. 1968)

Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang. Together they were known as "The Hines Kids" and later as "The Hines Brothers." When their father joined, Maurice Hines, Sr., the name changed again in 1963 to "Hines, Hines, and Dad".

[edit] Career

Hines performed as the lead singer and musician in a rock band called Severance in 1975/1976 based in Venice, California. Severance was one of the house bands at an original music club called Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, otherwise known as the 4H Club. In 1986, he sang a duet with Luther Vandross, entitled "There's Nothing Better Than Love", which reached the #1 position on the Billboard R&B charts.[1]

Hines made his movie debut in Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part 1. Critics took note of Hines's comedic charm, and he later appeared in such movies as The Cotton Club, White Nights, Running Scared, Tap, and Waiting to Exhale. On television, he starred in his own series in 1997 called The Gregory Hines Show on CBS, as well as in the recurring role of Ben Doucette on Will & Grace. In 1999, Hines made his return on television with Nick Jr.'s Little Bill, as the voice of Big Bill.

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!. He also co-hosted the Tony Awards ceremony in 1995 and 2002.[2]

In 1990, Hines visited with his idol, Sammy Davis, Jr., as he was dying of throat cancer, 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.[3]

[edit] Personal life

Hines' marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow ended in divorce.

[edit] Death

Hines died of liver cancer at 57, on August 9, 2003, en route to hospital from his home in Los Angeles. He had been diagnosed with the disease more than a year earlier but had informed only his closest friends. In addition to his father and brother, he is survived by his daughter, Daria; a son, Zach; stepdaughter, Jessica Koslow; and a grandson. At the time of his death, he was engaged to Negrita Jayde.[4] Hines is interred at Saint Volodymyr's Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario. Following his death, the television series Lost at Home, in which he was featured, was cancelled.

[edit] Awards and nominations

Awards
Nominations
  • 1979 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Eubie!
  • 1980 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Comin' Uptown
  • 1981 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Sophisticated Ladies
  • 1982 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement - Special Class - I Love Liberty
  • 1985 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program - Motown Returns to the Apollo
  • 1989 Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program - Tap Dance in America
  • 1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography - Jelly's Last Jam
  • 1992 Tony Award for Best Choreography - Jelly's Last Jam
  • 1995 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture - Waiting to Exhale
  • 1998 American Comedy Awards Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series - Will & Grace
  • 1998 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - The Gregory Hines Show
  • 2001 Black Reel Awards Network/Cable Best Actor - Bojangles
  • 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Bojangles
  • 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries - Bojangles
  • 2002 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special - The Red Sneakers
  • 2002 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program - The Red Sneakers

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Luther Vandross Chart History
  2. ^ Mervyn Rothstein (1992-09-01). "The Man in the Dancing Shoes". cigaraficionado. http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,63,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
  3. ^ Jr. news (1992). "Gregory Hines Interview". sammydavis-jr. The Sammy Davis, Jr. Association. http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/Pages/read/hines/hines.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
  4. ^ Jennifer Dunning (11 August 2003). "Gregory Hines, Versatile Dancer and Actor, Dies at 57". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/11/arts/gregory-hines-versatile-dancer-and-actor-dies-at-57.html?scp=2&sq=Gregory%20Hines&st=cse (NYT Obit link fixed)

[edit] External links

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