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.
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