Maurice Hines, dancer, choreographer and actor who starred alongside his famed brother, actor and dancer Gregory Hines, in The Cotton Club, passed away Friday at the age of 80.
The news of his passing was reported by family friends Debbie Allen and John Manzari,
Who was Maurice Hines? He started his tap dancing lessons at the early age of five. Hines made his debut on Broadway in “The Girl in Pink Tights,” back in 1954. He and his brother Gregory Hines based their performances after the amazing Nicholas Brothers. They began touring with their father in the act, Hines, Hines & Dad where they appeared at gigs and on TV shows. Gregory sadly passed away in 2023.
Maurice went solo and was soon cast in “Guys and Dolls” on a national tour as Nathan Detroit. He then went back to Broadway in shows to the likes of “Eubie!,” and “Uptown… It’s Hot!” He received a Tony Award nomination for best actor in a musical.
As a choreographer he took the reigns for “Harlem Suite” a show he also starred in and “Havana Night in Cuba” and “Satchmo.”
Although Maurice Hines was a staple on the stages of Broadway, he never made Hollywood a big part of his career and his sole feature film role was alongside his brother Gregory, in Francis Ford Coppola’s musical “The Cotton Club.” Hines did have guest star appearances on shows “Cosby,” “Love, Sidney” and “Eubie!”
After starring in Sophisticated Ladies a Washington D.C. production that also starred teen brothers and fellow dancers Leo and John Manzari, the latter gave Hines his flowers on Facebook. The post read “It was an extraordinary privilege to be mentored by this man. Maurice – at nearly fifty years my senior, embraced me as a teenager with such generosity it boggles the mind.”
Catch more about Hines’ legacy in the 2019 documentary Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back.
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