Gregory Hines

photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Gregory Oliver Hines

Date of Birth: February 14, 1946

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: August 9, 2003

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – African-Trinidadian, African-Kittian, smaller amounts of Welsh, Portuguese, English, and Irish

Gregory Hines was an American dancer, actor, singer, and choreographer. His roles included the films History of the World, Part I; Wolfen, Deal of the Century, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Cotton Club, White Nights (1985), Running Scared (1986), Off Limits (1988), Tap (1989), Eve of Destruction, A Rage in Harlem, Renaissance Man, Waiting to Exhale, Good Luck (1994), Mad Dog Time, The Preacher’s Wife, The Cherokee Kid, The Tic Code, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, and Once in the Life; the made-for-tv movies T Bone N Weasel, Subway Stories, Who Killed Atlanta’s Children?, Bojangles, and The Red Sneakers; and the shows Sesame Street, Faerie Tale Theatre, Amazing Stories, The Gregory Hines Show, Will & Grace, Lost at Home, and Little Bill.

Gregory was the son of Alma Iola Kilfoyl (Lawless) and Maurice Robert Hines, a drummer. His brother, Maurice Hines, was a jazz singer, actor, director, and choreographer. Gregory, his father, and his brother Maurice were part of nightclub act Hines, Hines and Dad.

Gregory’s father was born in North Carolina, and was African-American. His mother was born in New York City. Gregory’s maternal grandparents were from Trinidad and St. Kitts, respectively, and had African-Caribbean, and smaller amounts of Welsh, Portuguese, English, and Irish, ancestry. Gregory is also stated on the internet as having had Jewish ancestry somewhere on his mother’s side. It is not clear if this Jewish ancestry has been verified/documented.

Gregory had a daughter with his former wife Patricia Panella; and a son with his former wife Pamela Koslow.

Gregory’s paternal grandmother was named Ora Hines.

Gregory’s maternal grandfather was Lionel O. “Sidney” Lawless (the son of Connell Lawless, likely Connell Hugh Buchanan Lawless, and of Annie Howard). Lionel was born on Tunapuna, Tunapuna-Piarco, Trinidad, to a father of Welsh, English, and Irish descent, and an African-Caribbean mother.

Gregory’s maternal grandmother was Bernice/Beatrice A. Walker (the daughter of Frederick Walker and Mary DaSilva). Bernice was born on Saint Kitts, to an African-Caribbean father and a Portuguese mother.

Sources: Genealogy of Gregory Hines – https://www.findagrave.com

Gregory’s mother on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Gregory’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org