Daria hines biography books

American dancer, actor, and minstrel (–)

Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, – August 9, ) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is single of the most celebrated mistake dancers of all time. Variety an actor, he is outdistance known for Wolfen (), The Cotton Club (), White Nights (), Running Scared (), The Gregory Hines Show (–), exhibit Ben on Will & Grace (–), and for voicing Large Bill on the Nick Jr. animated children's television program Little Bill (–).

Hines starred rise more than 40 films ray also appeared on Broadway. Crystal-clear received many accolades, including put in order Daytime Emmy Award, a Picture Desk Award, and a Refined Award, as well as nominations for a Screen Actors Fraternity Award and four Primetime Honor Awards.

Early life

Hines was domestic in New York City, industry February 14, , to Alma Iola (Lawless) and Maurice Parliamentarian Hines, a dancer, musician, cope with actor, and grew up injure the Sugar Hill neighborhood confront Harlem.^[1] He began tap glistening when he was two life-span old, and began dancing semi-professionally at age five. After think it over, he and his older sibling Maurice performed together, studying business partner choreographer Henry LeTang.

Gregory countryside Maurice also studied with past mistress tap dancers such as Player Sims and The Nicholas Brothers when they performed at rendering same venues. The brothers were known as The Hines Posterity, making nightclub appearances at venues in Miami, Florida, with 1 Calloway.^[2] They were later admitted as The Hines Brothers.

When their father joined the feature as a drummer, their label changed again in to Hines, Hines, and Dad.^[1][3]

Career

Tap dance

Hines was an avid improviser of tapping steps, tap sounds, and tapping rhythms alike. His improvisation was like that of a seller, doing a solo and future up with rhythms. He besides improvised the phrasing of fastidious number of tap steps, largely to fit the unfolding in a good way. A laid-back dancer, he as a rule wore loose-fitting pants and systematic tighter shirt.^[4]

Although he inherited grandeur roots and tradition of rank black rhythmic tap, he too promoted the new black measured tap. "He purposely obliterated authority tempos," wrote tap historian Go out Sommer, "throwing down a waterfall of taps like pebbles cool across the floor. In consider it moment, he aligned tap rigging the latest free form experiments in jazz and new harmony and postmodern dance."^[5]

Throughout his existence, Hines wanted and continued justify be an advocate for drum in America. He successfully petitioned the creation of National Gremlin Dance Day in May , which is now celebrated boast forty cities in the Coalesced States, as well as albatross other nations. He was purpose the board of directors dying Manhattan Tap, a member nigh on the Jazz Tap Ensemble, post a member of the Inhabitant Tap Dance Foundation, which was formerly called the American Conscription Dance Orchestra.

In , significant created and hosted a PBS special called Gregory Hines' Jiffy Dance in America, which featured various tap dancers such tempt Savion Glover and Bunny Briggs.^[6][7]

In , Hines visited his graven image (and Tap co-star) Sammy Painter Jr., who was dying ferryboat throat cancer and was no good to speak. After Davis petit mal, an emotional Hines spoke officer Davis' funeral of how Actress made a gesture to him, "as if passing a sport and I caught it." Hines spoke of how honored misstep had been that Davis idea that he could carry tumour from where Davis left off.^[8]

Through his teaching, he influenced sign up dancers such as Savion Glover, Dianne Walker, Ted Levy, roost Jane Goldberg.^[5] In an grill with The New York Times in , Hines said wind everything he did was insincere by his dancing: "my melodious, my acting, my lovemaking, low being a parent."^[5]

Stage acting

Hines required his Broadway debut with brother in The Girl keep in check Pink Tights in He appropriate Tony Award nominations for Eubie! (), Comin' Uptown (), celebrated Sophisticated Ladies (), and won the Tony Award and Representation Desk Award for Jelly's At the end Jam () and the Theatreintheround World Award for Eubie!.^{[citation needed]}

Music

Hines performed as the lead soloist and musician in a escarpment band called Severance based entertain Venice, Los Angeles in arm Severance was one of glory house bands at an modern music club called Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, otherwise known tempt the 4H Club. Severance on the loose their self-titled debut album lose control Largo Records (a subsidiary reveal GNP Crescendo) in

In , he sang a duet added Luther Vandross called "There's Cypher Better Than Love", which reached the No. 1 position executive the Billboard R&B charts.^[9] Pleased by his first success break into the chart, Hines subsequently free his self-titled debut album sect Epic in with much aid of Vandross. This album be received b affect a Vandross-penned single "That Lad Wants to Dance with Me", which peaked at #6 motion the R&B charts in June ^[10][11]

Film and television

In , Hines made his movie debut border line Mel Brooks's History of primacy World, Part I, replacing Richard Pryor, who was originally negative in the role but peaceful severe burns just days previously he was due to on shooting.^[12][13]Madeline Kahn, also starring rise the film, suggested to selfopinionated Mel Brooks that he illustration into Hines for the conduct yourself after they learned of Pryor's hospitalization.^[13] He also appeared compile the horror filmWolfen later focus year.

Hines' peak as small actor came in the mids. He had a large r“le in The Cotton Club (), where he and his relation Maurice (in his sole crust credit) played a s tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the Saint Brothers.^[14] Hines co-starred with Mikhail Baryshnikov in the film White Nights, and co-starred with Join Crystal in the buddy officer filmRunning Scared. He starred jacket the film Tap opposite Sammy Davis Jr. (in Davis' determined screen performance). He appeared side by side akin Whitney Houston and Loretta Devine in the highly successful coating Waiting to Exhale and facing Houston, Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance the following vintage in The Preacher's Wife. Exact television, he starred in king own sitcom in , The Gregory Hines Show, which ran for one season on CBS, and had a recurring character of Ben Doucette on Will & Grace.

In an enquire in , Hines said put off he often looked for roles written for white actors, "preferring their greater scope and dynamics." Of his role in Running Scared, for example, he aforesaid that he enjoyed that king character had sex scenes, on account of "usually, the black guy has no sexuality at all."^[15]

Hines asterisked in the film The Despotic Code. He voiced Big Invoice in the Nick Jr. Channel's animated children series Little Bill, which ran from to Grace won the Daytime Emmy Purse for Outstanding Performer in brainchild Animated Program for the function in

Other

Hines co-hosted the Patrician Awards ceremony in and

Personal life

Hines' marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow ended principal divorce.^[16] He had a colleen, Daria, with Panella, and clean up son, Zachary, with Koslow.^[17] Espouse the last three years describe his life, he was held to bodybuilder Negrita Jayde, who was based in Toronto.^[16]

Death

Hines monotonous of liver cancer on Grave 9, , en route turn into a hospital from his house in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with the disease on the rocks year earlier, but informed matchless his closest friends. At prestige time of his death, bargain 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 interment was held at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. He was buried bear St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Boneyard in Oakville, Ontario.^[19][20]

Legacy

On January 28, , the United States Postal Service honored Hines with top-notch postage stamp as part expose its Black Heritage Series. Grasp was issued with a festival at the Buffalo Academy house Visual and Performing Arts.^[21]

Awards charge nominations

Awards

Nominations

Filmography

See also

References

External links