Tap dancing star, actor Maurice Hines Jr. dies at 80

Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Renowned tap dancing star Maurice Hines Jr., who also enjoyed a long career as an actor and choreographer, has died, his agent said Saturday. He was 80.

Hines died while residing at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, N.J., his cousin and representative Richard Nurse told The Hollywood Reporter.

Hines, born in New York City on Dec. 13, 1943, and his younger brother Gregory, who died of cancer at age 53 in 2003, rose to fame as a uniquely talented tap dancing duo, starring on Broadway, in clubs, on television and in films.

Maurice and Gregory Hines made their Broadway debut as the tap-dancing Hines Kids in 1954 in musical The Girl in Pink Tights with Maurice playing a newspaper boy and Gregory a shoeshine boy, according to the Reporter.

The duo also performed together as the Hines Brothers and later as Hines, Hines & Dad when their father joined them onstage in 1963. They performed regularly at New York City's Apollo Theater as well as in clubs around the world an on The Tonight Show.

Maurice and Gregory parted ways in the early 1970s while continuing to perform in many Broadway and touring productions. Maurice was nominated for a Tony award in 1986 for his role in the musical Uptown ...It's Hot. Gregory won the Tony in 1992 for his role in Jelly's Last Jam.

The brothers last performed together in Francis Ford Coppola's movie The Cotton Club, released in 1984.

After that the brothers became estranged for many years, Deadline reported, but ultimately reconciled following the death of their mother.