Gregory Hines is now dancin' in that great club in the sky.

Sad news but thanks for posting.  Yahoo moves these around.  For now, the link here will work.  By tomorrow you'll probably have to go to the Entertainment section.

I first saw him in "White Nights".  Anyone who could dance in the same scene with Mikhail Baryshnikov and still look good HAD to be good.

Will always be the great comedic role I remember Gregory playing.

In History of the World Part 1, a Mel Brooks flick he made his big screen debut as a slave Josephus. He is on platform doing a sand dance so he will be bought instead being fed to the lions in the collesium.....

Auctioneer: Where are you from?
Josephus: Ethiopia
Auctioneer: What part?
Josephus: 125th Street.


I first remember him when he danced with his brother, Maurice, in the Hines, Hines and Dad as a stage show.

I think he single handidly kept the art of tap dancing alive on the big screen. He will surely be missed.

THE COTTON CLUB (1984) ... one of Coppola's better films IMHO

one of my favourite (topical) movie quotes actually comes from this movie, where Bob Hoskin's character (a mob boss) utters this line in a high-class brothel:

"In the next room, gentlemen, is the finest food, drink and pussy in New York at a price."

Cotton Club wanted to be too many things to too many people.  Coppola lost focus on the story telling.

Richard Gere's performance in it was underrated, JMHO.  Diane Lane was too raw to make an impact.  Besides, her teeth looked too yellow under that heavy white makeup.  (I could be critical at times.)

I think White Nights was his best performance.  Life could be short sometimes.  It is better to seize the moment and finish some of the items on the check list.


-- Modified on 8/10/2003 7:24:32 PM

I loved his comedic roles in "Will & Grace", and in "Running Scared" with Billy Crystal.  He was truly a man of all talents.  Singing, dancing and acting.  He will be sorely missed.

i had to rewind that scene with her and Richard Gere (the little CG "hump") many times ... she's a real looker ... even now

her performance in UNFAITHFUL (2003) was real high-caliber ... too bad she lost the Oscar for Best Actress ... (picture below is from that movie)

anyway, not to detract from Gregory ... it's really sad ... he was an original


-- Modified on 8/10/2003 8:24:07 PM

Very sad to lose someone so great.

-- Modified on 8/10/2003 8:57:23 PM

What an awesome talent. White Nights, Running Scared, Taps with Sammy Davis Jr., The Preacher's Wife, Will & Grace and so much more on Broadway. Gregory Hines was an incredible dancer and wonderful actor. He will be missed.

Jimbo

Or him walking by the blind man ...

Blind Man: Hey Josephus.
Josephus: Hey motherf*cker. (Giving the blind man five.)

And the whacky weedus!!

And the dance to see if he's a eunich. Hilarious.

"History of the World Part 1" should be required viewing by everyone. How could I have forgotten this classic?? One of Mel Brooks' best ever.

Ditto that Hines kept tap alive for a long long time.

Jimbo

The funny gag about that whole exchange was the blind mans name was Edipus....

Edipus: Hey Josephus.
Josephus: Hey motherf*cker. (Giving the blind man five.)

For those who don't know who Edipus was...well thats a whole therapy session in its self *wink*

"And the dance to see if he's a eunich. Hilarious."

wouldn't that read better as:

And the dance to see if he's a eunich. Unique.

Okay, okay, a little lame alliteration but I couldn't
pass it up.

Edipus (Oedipus) now that's a "complex" take on Greek.

He even had an #1 R&B single with "There's Nothing Better Than Love". It was a duet with Luther Vandross from 1987.

I loved his performance in white nights and tap with Sammy Davis Jr... he will be indeed be missed
Sham.

As well one of my favorite audio was his piece tapping with bass guitarist Stanley Clarke on the "album" (it was on vinyl when it came out) If Only This Bass Could Talk ... I also really loved him in Taps and that classic, Cotton Club.  

Thank God someone took the time to document.  Being a dancer myself, Gregory was one of my all time favorites and adored icons, so I am ever grateful for the audio visual documentation and the technology!

Anyway, how the reminder of our own mortality bites, and reminds us how precious time is.

He was the living master of tap.  As far as I know, there are no thers like him alive.  What a shame to lose a most American art form.  I for one will miss him.

F.

i certainly hope there are enough young people who are willing to invest their lives in advancing and promoting this most unique of dance art forms (most American too)

i think Jazz is another one of our national treasures that's being somewhat neglected (although IT will never die, just be relegated to the smaller rooms in record stores and for the precious few with "eclectic" tastes) ... i have the album Felicia mentioned ... it rocks/swings/bops/fuses/everything!

unfortunately the majority of home-grown "natural talent" for these two art forms see hip-hop or basketball as a quicker means to striking it rich

has credited Gregory with inspiring him to dance. Savion has been on Broadway, movies ect. doing what he was inspired to do....Tap.

Hopefully with the school he opened and his continued dedication to the art form, the legends like Gregory will be forever in our hearts and minds as we watch future generations pick up their shoes and Tap.