Gregory Hines

Infobox actor
name = Gregory Hines

---

caption =
birthname = Gregory Oliver Hines
birthdate = birth date|1946|02|14
location = New York City, New York, USA
deathdate = death date and age|2003|08|09|1946|02|14
deathplace = Los Angeles, California, USA
spouse = Pamela Koslow (1981-2000)
Patricia Panella (m. 1968)
tonyawards = Best Leading Actor in a Musical
1992 "Jelly's Last Jam"

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

Biography

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

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.

Hines 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", as well as in the recurring role of Ben Doucette on "Will & Grace".

Hines made his Broadway debut with his brother in "The Girl in Pink Tights" in 1954. He earned Tony Award nominations for "Eubie! (1992)", "Comin' Uptown" (1980) and "Sophisticated Ladies (1981)", and won the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for the revue "Jelly's Last Jam" (1992) and the Theatre World Award for "Eubie!". He also co-hosted the Tony Awards ceremony in 1995 and 2002. [cite news | author=Mervyn Rothstein | title=The Man in the Dancing Shoes | url=http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,63,00.html | work=cigaraficionado | date=1992-09-01 | accessdate=2008-06-09]

In 1990, Hines visited with his idol, Sammy Davis, Jr., as the great entertainer lay dying of throat cancer, unable to speak. After Davis died, a choked-up 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. [cite web | author=Jr. news | title=Gregory Hines Interview | url=http://www.sammydavis-jr.com/Pages/read/hines/hines.htm | work=sammydavis-jr | publisher=The Sammy Davis, Jr. Association | date=1992 | accessdate=2008-06-09]

Hines died of liver cancer in Los Angeles, California. He was engaged to bodybuilder Negrita Jayde at the time of his death. [cite web | author=Jennifer Dunning | title=Gregory Hines, Versatile Dancer and Actor, Dies at 57 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E4DF1031F932A2575BC0A9659C8B63 | work=The New York Times | date=11 August 2003| accessdate=2008-06-09]

He was interred at Saint Volodymyr's Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario.

Awards and nominations

;Awards
*1979 Theatre World Award - "Eubie!"
*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"
*1988 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture - "Running Scared"
*1999 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program - "Little Bill"
*2002 Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special - " Bojangles"

;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"

Filmography

*"" (1981)
*'Wolfen" (1981)
*"Deal of the Century" (1983)
*"The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984)
*"The Cotton Club" (1984)
*"White Nights" (1985)
*"Faerie Tale Theatre:" "Puss in Boots" (1985)
*"Running Scared" (1986)
*"Off Limits" (1988)
*"Tap" (1989)
*"Eve of Destruction (film)" (1991)
*"A Rage in Harlem" (1991)
*"Kangaroo Court" (1994)
*"Renaissance Man" (1994)
*"Dead Air" (1994)
*"Waiting to Exhale" (1995)
*"Good Luck" (1996)
*"Mad Dog Time" (1996)
*"The Preacher's Wife" (1996)
*"" (1997)
*"The Tic Code" (1999)
*"Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" (2000)
*"Once in the Life" (2000)
*"Will & Grace" (TV) (2000)
*" Bojangles" (2001)
*"" (2002)
*"The Root" (2003)
*"" (2004)

References

External links

*
*
*
* [http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/000211.html Blog of Death obituary]
*" [http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0333/jowitt3.php Tapping into history] ." Deborah Jowitt, Village Voice. August, 2003.
* [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/interactive/video/index.html#g TonyAwards.com Interview with Gregory Hines]