Gary Hines

Gary Dennis Hines (born 20 May 1956) is an American music director, composer, producer, and keyboardist born in Yonkers, New York. Professionally known as Gary D. Hines, his artistic specialisation spans music direction, vocal arrangement, and record production. He has operated across a vast spectrum of genres, including gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, pop, hip-hop, rock, blues, reggae, ragtime, Latin, and classical music. Hines is most notably recognised as the long-standing Music Director and Producer of the three-time Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental ensemble, Sounds of Blackness, a role he assumed in 1971.

Early Life

Hines was raised in the public housing projects of Yonkers, New York, alongside two brothers and three sisters. His early life was heavily influenced by his mother, Doris Hines, an internationally touring singer. He began his musical foundations at the age of four when his mother purchased his first pair of bongos from a second-hand store. By age five, Hines was performing with grown men in the Samuel H. Dow American Legion Drum Corps No. 1017. At age 12, his family relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, after his mother secured an extended singing engagement in the area. Hines pursued his higher education at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1974.

Career

Hines took over the leadership of the Macalester College Black Voices choir in 1971, subsequently renaming the ensemble Sounds of Blackness. His professional journey encompasses recording, performing, writing for, and appearing with a vast array of high-profile artists, including Quincy Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Sting, Dolly Parton, Usher, Johnny Gill, Danny Glover, and Jordin Sparks. Alongside producers Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis, Hines steered the group to global prominence during the 1990s. With Sounds of Blackness, he has toured internationally across Africa, England, Holland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, Jamaica, Martinique, and the Bahamas. Under his direction, the ensemble achieved three Grammy Awards, a 2012 NAACP Image Award for their self-titled album, and an International Time for Peace Award.

Personal Life

Deeply rooted in community work and cultural preservation, Hines has conducted countless music workshops, seminars, lectures, and masterclasses globally. His educational curriculum focuses on the history, systemic impact, and evolution of African-American music and culture. His professional legacy includes establishing Sounds of Blackness as a stable institution that champions social justice and serves as a developmental sanctuary for women vocalists and instrumentalists. In recognition of his regional and global influence, Hines received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Macalester College, the Minnesota Music Academy Awards, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame Award, and the Golden Scroll For The Promise of Greatness Award. He also received the prestigious 2025 A.P. Anderson Award for his significant, lifelong contributions to the cultural and artistic life of Minnesota.

Current Activities

Hines continues to actively direct and compose message-driven material for Sounds of Blackness, focusing on contemporary social justice anthems such as "We're Unstoppable" and the single "Thankful". He regularly oversees the ensemble's theatrical pieces, including their signature civil rights tribute production, Music for Martin, at the Ordway center. Hines is presently leading the group through a series of live appearances, including headlining performances at the City Winery Atlanta on 28 May 2026 and the City Winery Nashville on 29 May 2026.