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Maurice Hines, who tap danced his way to a Tony nomination during a long stage career and was a frequent TV guest, has died at the age of 80, according to reports from friends and family.
Hines began working in show business at age five. He made his Broadway debut in The Girl in the Pink Tights in 1954, and went on to appear in Eubie!, Sophisticated Ladies, Bring Back Birdie, and Uptown…It’s Hot!, the latter winning him a Tony nomination. He later was Nathan Detroit in a 2001 tour of Guys and Dolls, working with Debbie Allen, Leslie Uggams, and Richard Roundtree.
The capstone to his career was the show Maurice Hines: Tapping Through Life, a tribute to his family that was filled with anecdotes about working with Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, and others.
He staged the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in 1990, becoming the first African American to direct at the famed venue.
Born in 1943 in New York City, Hines and his younger brother, Gregory were trained at an early age. Their father, Maurice Hines Sr., joined his sons in Hines, Hines & Dad, an act seen regularly on The Pearl Bailey Show and The Tonight Show, among other programs.
His film resume included appearing with his brother in the Francis Ford Coppola film The Cotton Club, playing a tap dance act modeled on the Nicholas Brothers. The film marked the last time Maurice and Gregory performed together, as a dispute kept them apart until their mother’s death. Their careers still intersected during the estrangement, and Maurice toured in Jelly’s Last Jam, the show that earned Gregory a Tony Award on Broadway.
Maurice Hines eventually paid homage to his brother in Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Through Life.
Hines was also the subject of the documentary Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, currently available for rental on demand.
No information on survivors or memorial plans was immediately available.
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