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Gregory Hines: Supreme Talent, AppleMaster
©Fred Balin, MacResolutions
August 12, 2003
I first met Gregory Hines in Manhattan in the late summer of 1980.
At the time his comeback from performance exile was well underway and he was moving rapidly on a direct path to stardom.
Hines had started tap dancing at age 3, performed at Harlem's Apollo Theatre at 5, and became part of an act with his older brother and father (Hines, Hines, and Dad). But in his late 20s, the breakup of both his marriage and relationship with his brother, led him out of show business and into a period of Southern California escape and reflection.
After a hiatus of seven years, he had returned to New York, landed roles on Broadway, and for his performance in Eubie, had been nominated for a Tony award.
I knew none of this. I was struggling to succeed and survive as a teacher in a small private school that was high on innovation and low on salary. I had little time or money for Broadway. The school year was about to begin, and I was busy preparing for the year's crop of 10- and 11-year-olds.
"Hi, I'm Gregory Hines, Daria's father," announced the presence, bounding into my class area. "I'm an actor, we're working on a show."
The jaded New Yorker's mind kicked in. Yeah, you and a million others in this town.
"We're doing a show out of town." Yeah
"But we'll be bringing it to New York." Yeah, Yeah.
"Here's my number, call me when you need to." Sure, sure.
"Hey, I'll get you some tickets, when we come back." Yeah, sure.
***
It was a great class of kids that year, and I was really into my role of improving the world one child at a time. Extensive communication was a mantra. Daria was living with her mom, but when there was an issue or question I was in contact with all parties. So I called Gregory as warranted, each time confidently stating what he could or even should do.
Round about Thanksgiving, he again pops into the class area.
"Hey, Fred, howya doing."
"Great. How are you?"
"The show's coming to New York soon!" Yeah. Yeah
"I'll get you some tickets." Yeah.
Well the show did come to New York, it was Sophisticated Ladies and I had scant knowledge of it or the debut until I got a note indicating that Daria would not be coming to school in order to attend the opening. Not a great idea I thought; miss school for a show?
The next thing I remember is being bombarded by peers. "Hey, you've got Daria Hines in your class? Did you see the papers?
And there, plastered all over the dailies and The Sunday Times Arts and Leisure section, were pictures of my out-of-town actor-dad, in performance and with daughter, and all surrounded by erudite superlatives I had trouble comprehending.
"Get a grip," I scolded myself. "So, you've got a notable and his daughter in your circle. Dime a dozen on Celebrity Island. Stop acting like an out-of-towner and get back to work."
A few weeks later: "Hey, Fred, howya doing. Stopped by to see how things are going. Look, I want you to call this number and tell them I said you're to have some seats for the show."
Now what, Mr. Serious?
***
Eventually I called for tickets. The designated Saturday night arrived. My girlfriend and I headed downtown and into the theatre. Sixth row center. "Boy, I hope its at least somewhat as good as they say, so he doesn't see me walking out early."
The curtain rises.
Thirty piece Mercer Ellington orchestra, playing hs dad's music. Marvelous intro and backdrop for a wonderful cast of performers: Judith Jameson, Phyllis Hyman, and a whole host of other talents.
Dancin', singin', tappin', struttin', and swayin'. Beautiful choreography and sets, great voices. A knockout.
And then there is Gregory Hines.
Incredibly, he stands out head and shoulders above this marvelous collection. He's a sensation. The movements, the voice, the energy, the personality, the connection. He taps stage left, he taps stage right, he taps up the staircases, on and over props. He's everywhere and everything. Dancing, singing, playing the drums. The audience is ecstatic; I'm speechless.
Then a very memorable highlight. He's part of a human Checkered Cab. Two other performers crawl butt-to-butt as the taxi's front and rear. Gregory "drives," perched atop. The outfits, perfectly integrated.
As the taxi shuffles across stage, Gregory's begins I'm Just a Lucky So and So with the human-taxi hood and trunk rising for their assigned refrain.
As I walk down the street
[Do-wah]
Seems everyone I meet
[Do-wah]
Gives me a friendly hello
[Do-do-do waaaah]
I guess I'm just a lucky so and so.
Case closed.
This is what I want to be if I could choose anything. To combine that talent, with that energy and creativity, to produce that amount of sheer joy.
After the show, we stood at the backstage door to thank him when he came out. Stranded on the circumference of the crowd that received him, we waited until within normal earshot. "Gregory?"
"Fred! Howya doing!" And a big, warm hug.
You can take me now, Lord. I'm ready.
***
I returned to school on Monday and for the rest of the semester I had to muster every ounce of my inner strength to not appear any different to him or his daughter. I knew there was no middle ground. Give an inch, and you'll be reduced to blubbering mush.
Daria was in my class again the next year as our school put 5th and 6th graders together, and half would transition each year. She was doing very well and there was less need for extra calls home. Gregory's star was now in full ascension. More musicals, television, films, recognition all awaited. Yet he still dropped in from time to time.
At the end of that second year, Daria moved up, and I moved on. The initial wave of microcomputers that the Parents Association had donated had caught my fancy, and I was off to graduate studies in Instruction Technology and Media.
A decade later, I was in The Valley designing educational software, and then in 1995, a dream realized, landed a job in the Education Division at Apple.
Times were tough in Cupertino. Michael Spindler, "The Diesel", had derailed the train, Apple was hemorrhaging hundreds of millions and turn-around specialist Gil Amelio was brought in as a replacement.
It's hard to imagine now, but during that period the confidence of Apple's Board of Directors was so low they were ready to sell the company out to Sun Microsystems. Amelio balked only when Sun asked for the already low price to be cut even further.
Yet somewhere within those lean times an interesting marketing idea developed: AppleMasters, an invitation-only Apple "Institute" for extraordinary people who shared a passion for the Macintosh.
The Masters received no pay, got to meet together under Apple auspices, mug with Apple products in front of the camera, speak their fondness for the Mac, and entertain the troops at Corporate and the faithful at MacWorld Expos.
Looking back, AppleMaster's was a harbinger of Steve Jobs' Think Different promotion campaign, with one major difference. Not only were all these folks alive, they actually used Macs. What does Mahatma Ghandi have to do with Macintosh?
Gregory Hines was an AppleMaster.
I never did meet or speak with Gregory after I left that New York school, so I never could asked one of the questions I've been thinking about since the news of his death on Sunday.
Why did he do it?
What could a Macintosh possibly mean to this man? His talents had been forged and honed from Day 1 via family influences and through every facet of his physical personae and spiritual soul. What could a cutely dressed up collection of bits and bytes mean to this man?
Was it industrial design elegance? Hipness? Simplicity?
Was it the counter-culture vs Big Brother?
What?
Well, I think it must have been more visceral and empowering.
We're rapidly moving in on 20 years since the first-bitmapped, scripted hello created in MacPaint appeared on the debut of the original Macintosh, in January, 1984. The magic imbedded in that moment has been experienced by millions as they came in contact with their first Mac.
Macintosh was immediately and indelibly imprinted as both a joyful technological experience and a vehicle for human empowerment.
Since Steve Jobs' return to Apple, that legacy has been dramatically extended. The inviting allure of Jaguar. The iApp novice creativity suite (iMovie, iDVD, and iPhoto). And then the natural path to professional programs (Final Cut, DVD Studio Pro, Adobe apps, etc.)
During the recent economic downturn, Apple has cleverly parried the blows with captivating add-ons, like .Mac accounts, iPods, and the Apple on-line Music Store. All nice products that add revenue streams, but are more about lifestyle than creativity.
So I worry.
About this trend and about rumored ventures into combo personal digital assistants or affiliations with entertainment companies.
And now about the processing monster G5 and Panther (Mac OS X v 10.3). Is this the combo that ends perceived speed deficiencies and pushes big powerful Mac boxes into corporate client and server environments?
I guess I should care, but at least this week, I don't.
For me, Gregory Hines was about an experience of sheer joy, intimately connected to an individual's desire to reach the highest levels of creative potential.
No matter what its market share, Apple will succeed as long as it closely adheres to that guiding vision, exemplified by the great talent it now celebrates on its web site .
-Fred Balin
8/12/03
MacResolutions
3790 El Camino Real, #2005
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-565-8120
info@macresolutions.com
©2003,
Fred Balin, MacResolutions
All rights reserved.
Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.