ActorDancerSingerTony Award winner

Gregory Hines

Gregory Hines was a celebrated American dancer, actor, and singer, influential in the tap dance revival and acclaimed for his work in film and theater.

1. Early Life and Background

Gregory Oliver Hines was born on February 14, 1946, in New York City, specifically in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem, Manhattan. His parents were Alma Iola (Lawless) and Maurice Robert Hines, who was also a dancer, musician, and actor. Gregory began his tap dance training at the remarkably young age of two and started performing semi-professionally by age five. He and his older brother, Maurice Hines, formed a duo known as The Hines Kids, studying under the renowned choreographer Henry LeTang.

The brothers honed their skills by studying with veteran tap dancers such as Howard Sims and The Nicholas Brothers when they performed at the same venues. As The Hines Kids, they made nightclub appearances in cities like Miami, Florida, often performing alongside jazz legend Cab Calloway. In 1963, their father joined the act as a drummer, leading to another name change for the group: Hines, Hines, and Dad.

2. Career

Gregory Hines' career spanned various artistic fields, showcasing his exceptional talent as a dancer, actor, singer, and choreographer.

2.1. Tap Dance

Hines was a master of improvisation in tap dance, constantly experimenting with steps, sounds, and rhythms. His improvisational style was often compared to that of a drummer performing a solo, creating intricate and evolving rhythms. He also improvised the phrasing of tap steps to complement the unfolding sound, demonstrating a fluid and adaptive approach to the art form. Known for his relaxed yet dynamic stage presence, he typically performed in loose-fitting pants and a tighter shirt.

While deeply rooted in the traditions of black rhythmic tap, Hines also championed and advanced a new form of black rhythmic tap. Tap historian Sally Sommer noted that Hines "purposely obliterated the tempos," delivering "a cascade of taps like pebbles tossed across the floor." This innovative approach connected tap dance with contemporary free-form experiments in jazz, new music, and postmodern dance, pushing the boundaries of the art form.

Throughout his career, Hines was a dedicated advocate for tap dance in America. He successfully petitioned for the establishment of National Tap Dance Day, which was first celebrated in May 1989. This day is now observed in forty cities across the United States and in eight other nations, a testament to his enduring influence. Hines was actively involved in the tap community, serving on the board of directors for Manhattan Tap, as a member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and as a member of the American Tap Dance Foundation (formerly the American Tap Dance Orchestra).

In 1989, he created and hosted a PBS special titled Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America, which featured performances by various prominent tap dancers, including Savion Glover and Bunny Briggs. His influence extended to a new generation of tap dancers, such as Savion Glover, Dianne Walker, Ted Louis Levy, and Jane Goldberg, through his teaching and mentorship. In a 1988 interview with The New York Times, Hines stated that his dancing influenced every aspect of his life, including "my singing, my acting, my lovemaking, my being a parent."

In 1990, Hines visited his idol and Tap co-star, Sammy Davis Jr., who was gravely ill with throat cancer and unable to speak. Following Davis's death, an emotional Hines spoke at his funeral, recounting how Davis made a gesture to him "as if passing a basketball... and I caught it." Hines expressed how deeply honored he was that Davis believed he could carry on his legacy.

Gregory Hines in 1993.
Gregory Hines in 1993.

2.2. Stage and Broadway Career

Gregory Hines made his Broadway debut in 1954 alongside his brother Maurice in The Girl in Pink Tights. His stage career flourished, earning him multiple Tony Award nominations for his performances in Eubie! (1979), Comin' Uptown (1980), and Sophisticated Ladies (1981). He received the Theatre World Award for Eubie!. His most significant theatrical achievement came in 1992 when he won both the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for his starring role in Jelly's Last Jam, a production that also featured Savion Glover.

2.3. Music Career

In addition to his dancing and acting, Hines pursued a career in music. In 1975 and 1976, he served as the lead singer and musician for a rock band called Severance, based in Venice, Los Angeles. Severance was a house band at the Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, also known as the 4H Club. The band released their self-titled debut album on Largo Records, a subsidiary of GNP Crescendo, in 1976.

In 1986, Hines collaborated with R&B icon Luther Vandross, singing a duet titled "There's Nothing Better Than Love". This song achieved significant success, reaching the No. 1 position on the Billboard R&B charts. Encouraged by this success, Hines released his self-titled debut album on Epic Records in 1988, with substantial support from Vandross. The album featured the Vandross-penned single "That Girl Wants to Dance with Me," which peaked at #6 on the R&B charts in June 1988.

2.4. Film and Television Career

Hines began his film career in 1981, making his movie debut in Mel Brooks's History of the World, Part I. He took on the role after Richard Pryor, who was originally cast, sustained severe burns just days before filming was set to begin. Madeline Kahn, a co-star in the film, suggested Hines to director Mel Brooks after learning of Pryor's hospitalization. Later that year, Hines also appeared in the horror film Wolfen.

The mid-1980s marked a peak in Hines' acting career. He played a significant role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1984 film The Cotton Club, where he and his brother Maurice (in his only film credit) portrayed a 1930s tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the Nicholas Brothers. In 1985, Hines co-starred with Mikhail Baryshnikov in the film White Nights. The following year, he starred opposite Billy Crystal in the 1986 buddy cop film Running Scared.

Hines continued to take on diverse roles, starring in the 1989 film Tap alongside his idol Sammy Davis Jr., in what was Davis's final screen performance. He appeared with Whitney Houston and Loretta Devine in the highly successful 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, and the following year, he co-starred with Houston, Denzel Washington, and Courtney B. Vance in The Preacher's Wife.

On television, Hines starred in his own sitcom, The Gregory Hines Show, which aired for one season on CBS from 1997 to 1998. He also had a recurring role as Ben Doucette on the popular sitcom Will & Grace from 1999 to 2000. In 1998, he starred in the film The Tic Code. Hines also lent his voice to the character of Big Bill in the Nick Jr. Channel's animated children's series Little Bill, which ran from 1999 to 2004. For this role, he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program in 2003.

In a 1987 interview, Hines revealed that he often sought roles originally written for white actors, preferring their "greater scope and dynamics." He specifically noted his enjoyment of the sex scenes in Running Scared, stating that "usually, the black guy has no sexuality at all," highlighting his desire to portray more complex and fully realized characters.

Beyond acting, Hines also co-hosted the Tony Awards ceremony in both 1995 and 2002.

3. Personal Life

Gregory Hines was married twice. His marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow both ended in divorce. He had a daughter, Daria, with Patricia Panella, and a son, Zachary, with Pamela Koslow. For the last three years of his life, Hines was engaged to Negrita Jayde, a bodybuilder based in Toronto.

4. Death

Gregory Hines died on August 9, 2003, at the age of 57, from liver cancer. He passed away en route to a hospital from his home in Los Angeles. Hines had been diagnosed with the disease a year prior but had only informed his closest friends. At the time of his death, production for the animated television show Little Bill, in which he voiced the character Big Bill, was concluding. He was survived by his fiancée Jayde, his children Daria and Zachary, his ex-stepdaughter Jessica, and his grandson Lucian.

His funeral service was held at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. He was interred at St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

5. Legacy

Gregory Hines' contributions to the performing arts, particularly tap dance, left an indelible legacy. He is widely credited with revitalizing tap dance in the late 20th century, bringing it to a new generation of audiences and performers. His innovative style, characterized by improvisation and a blend of traditional and modern rhythms, pushed the boundaries of the art form and influenced countless dancers.

His advocacy for National Tap Dance Day ensured that the art form would be recognized and celebrated annually, further solidifying its place in American culture. Through his performances, teaching, and mentorship, he inspired and shaped the careers of many contemporary tap dancers.

Posthumous recognition of his impact includes a special honor from the United States Postal Service. On January 28, 2019, the USPS issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring Gregory Hines as part of its Black Heritage Series. The stamp was unveiled during a ceremony at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.

6. Awards and Nominations

Hines received numerous awards and nominations throughout his distinguished career:

Awards

  • 1979 Theatre World Award - Eubie!
  • 1988 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture - Running Scared
  • 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
  • 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
  • 2003 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program - Little Bill

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 Primetime 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-Great Performances: 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
  • 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special-The Red Sneakers
  • 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special-The Red Sneakers

7. Filmography

  • Finian's Rainbow (1968) - Child Extra
  • Sesame Street (TV) (1979-1980) - Himself
  • History of the World, Part I (1981) - Josephus
  • Wolfen (1981) - Coroner Whittington
  • Deal of the Century (1983) - Ray Kasternak
  • The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) - Roller Skater
  • The Cotton Club (1984) - 'Sandman' Williams
  • White Nights (1985) - Raymond Greenwood
  • Faerie Tale Theatre: "Puss in Boots" (1985) - Edgar
  • Amazing Stories: (TV) "The Amazing Falsworth" (1985) - Falsworth
  • About Tap (1985) - Himself
  • Running Scared (1986) - Detective Ray Hughes
  • Off Limits (1988) - Albaby Perkins
  • Tap (1989) - Max Washington
  • Gregory Hines' Saigon (1987) - Himself
  • Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America (1989) - Himself
  • Eve of Destruction (1991) - Colonel Jim McQuade
  • A Rage in Harlem (1991) - 'Goldy'
  • White Lie (1991) - Len Madison Jr.
  • T Bone N Weasel (1992) - 'T-Bone'
  • Dead Air (1994) - Mark Jannek / Jim Sheppard
  • Renaissance Man (1994) - Sergeant Cass
  • Kangaroo Court (1994)
  • 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
  • Waiting to Exhale (1995) - Marvin King
  • Good Luck (1996) - Bernard 'Bern' Lemley
  • Mad Dog Time (1996) - Jules Flamingo
  • The Preacher's Wife (1996) - Joe Hamilton
  • The Cherokee Kid (1996) - Jedediah Turner / The Undertaker
  • Subway Stories: Tales From the Underground (1997) - Jack (segment "Manhattan Miracle")
  • The Gregory Hines Show (1997 to 1998) - Ben Stevenson
  • Blue's Clues (1999, Episode Blue's Big Treasure Hunt) - Jack
  • The Tic Code (1999) - Tyrone Pike
  • Will & Grace (TV) (1999 to 2000) - Ben Doucette
  • Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000) - Robert (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca")
  • Who Killed Atlanta's Children? (TV) (2000) - Ron Larson
  • Once in the Life (2000) - Ruffhouse
  • Bojangles (2001) - Bojangles
  • Venice: Lost and Found (2002) - Himself
  • The Red Sneakers (TV) (2002) - Zeke
  • Law & Order: (TV) "Suicide Box" (2003) - Carl Helpert
  • Lost at Home: (TV) (2003) - Jordan King
  • The Root (2003)
  • 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
  • Love That Girl, Sally (2004) - Fred (final film role; dedicated production)