Remembering Maurice Hines, The Legendary Tap Dancer And Broadway Star Who Has Died At 80

Legendary Broadway actor and dancer Maurice Hines died on Friday at age 80. Hines, who starred in The Cotton Club with his brother Gregory, made his Broadway debut in 1954. He first starred in The Girl in Pink Tights, Variety reported.

Touring with his brother and father, who was also a dancer, Hines performed at shows around the country. Hines later went solo and played the role of Nathan Detroit in the musical Guys and Dolls. He also worked as a choreographer and performer on Uptown…It’s Hot!, a role which helped him earn a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical. Hines had another one of his famous roles when he choreographed Yo Alice.

Throughout his career, Hines appeared on several TV shows, including Cosby, Eubie! and Love, Sidney.

Hines co-starred with brothers John and Leo Manzari in the 2010 musical, Sophisticated Ladies, which is based on Duke Ellington’s music. John expressed gratitude to Hines after hearing about his death.

“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,” John wrote on Facebook according to Variety.

Hines was born on Dec. 13, 1943 in Harlem, Billboard reported.

He made his debut as a professional dancer at age 6 with his brother. The duo and their father often performed at New York’s Apollo Theater. According to Hines’ representatives, the New York native died of natural causes at his home in Englewood, New Jersey. Hines’ story is told in the 2019 documentary Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back.