Dr. Gary D. Hines

keyboardist/songwriter/director/producer/arranger

Gary, a native of Yonkers New York, resides in Minneapolis and has been the conductor, producer, keyboardist, arranger, playwright and principal songwriter for The Sounds of Blackness for all of the group’s 40 years. Gary has been a staff producer/songwriter for Flyte Tyme Productions’ Jimmy “Jam” Harris & Terry Lewis (1989 - 1996). Gary’s musical background

began with drum and bugle corps at the age of five, and expanded in Jr. high School to include orchestral percussion, jazz, stage and R&B band and choral music. In 1974, he graduated from Macalester College (St. Paul, Minnesota) with honors in Sociology.

Gary’s musical arrangements can be heard on three Grammy Award-winning Gold albums, “The Evolution of Gospel”, by The Sounds of Blackness, “Handel’s Messiah - A Soulful Celebration” and “The Apostle” Soundtrack.

Under his direction, Sounds of Blackness has received the International Time For Peace Award, A “Soul Train” Award, EMMY and NAACP Image Award Nominations and has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra