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Shabba Doo

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Shabba Doo
Shabba Doo circa 1984
Born
Adolfo Quiñones

(1955-05-11)May 11, 1955
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 29, 2020(2020-12-29) (aged 65)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesAdolfo "Shabba Doo" Quiñones
Occupations
  • Actor
  • dancer
  • choreographer
Years active1975–2020
Known forOrlando "Ozone" – Breakin', Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
Spouses
Gwendolyn Powell
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 1982)​
​
​
(m. 1982; div. 1987)​
Children2

Adolfo Quiñones (May 11, 1955 – December 29, 2020), known professionally as Shabba Doo, was an American actor, break dancer, and choreographer. Of African American and Puerto Rican descent, Quiñones was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.[1] In the 1970s his family moved to Los Angeles, where he became interested in dancing and began performing in nightclubs. He adopted the pseudonym Shabba Doo and joined the dance group The Lockers, who were responsible for popularizing the locking style of street dance.[2]

In 1984, Quiñones played one of the lead characters in the breakdancing-themed musical film Breakin',. The film was successful at the box-office, grossing $38,682,707 domestically, and spawned a sequel Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Quiñones continued acting in films and television.

Throughout his career, Quiñones performed and choreographed dance for musical acts such as Lionel Richie, Madonna, Luther Vandross, Three Six Mafia, and Chaka Khan.

Early life and education

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Quiñones was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, United States; His father, Adolfo, had been born in Puerto Rico and became a salesman and a laborer. His mother, an Ethiopian Ruth (McDaniel) Quiñones, was an accountant whose family had moved from Mississippi to Chicago during the Great Migration.[3] His mother raised him as a single parent from the age of three.[4] He had a younger sister, Fawn Quiñones, who was also a dancer, and frequently featured on the musical variety television program Soul Train.[5] Quiñones was raised in the Cabrini–Green housing complex in the city's South Side. For high school, Quiñones attended Cooley Vocational High School and Robert A. Waller High School (now known as Lincoln Park High School).[6] In the 1970s, his family moved to the Los Angeles area. He began dancing in clubs around Crenshaw Boulevard and at venues like Radiotron, near MacArthur Park. Break-dance culture was growing at these establishments, and he dueled nightly in them with rivals on the dance floor. He started calling himself Sir Lance-a-Lock, which then became Shabba-Dabba-Do-Bop, which was finally shortened to Shabba-Doo.[3]

Career

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As a member of The Original Lockers along with Don "Campbellock" Campbell, Fred "Rerun" Berry and Toni Basil, Quiñones became one of the innovators of the dance style commonly known as locking.[7]

In 1980. Quiñones acted on stage in David Winters's rock musical Goosebumps.[8]

In May 1984, Joel Silberg's breakdancing-themed musical film Breakin' opened in cinemas, where Quiñones was cast as a lead playing Ozone.[9] The film opened at number one in the box office, earning $6,047,686.[10] and eventually grossed $38,682,707 in the domestic box office,[11] making it the eighteenth highest-grossing film of 1984.[12]

In December, 1984, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo premiered, directed by Sam Firstenberg with Quiñones returning as Ozone.[13] The film grossed $15.1 million in the United States and Canada.[14]

Also in 1984, he danced in Chaka Khan's music video "I feel for you"[15]

In 1987, Quiñones was a primary dancer and main choreographer for singer Madonna's Who's That Girl? Tour in 1987.[15] He would later choreograph for other singers, such as Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson.[15]

In 1989, Quiñones appeared in the film Tango & Cash.[15]

In 1990, Quiñones acted in Deadly Dancer and Lambada.[16][15]

Quiñones also appeared in Rave - Dancing to a Different Beat, which he also directed. He made guest appearances on TV shows including The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Married... with Children, Miami Vice, What's Happening!!, Saturday Night Live and Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure. Quiñones was writing A Breakin’ Uprising.[17]

He served as choreographer for Jamie Kennedy's MTV sitcom, Blowin' Up. He choreographed Three Six Mafia's performance at the 78th Academy Awards; the group won the Oscar for best original song for "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp".

Personal life and death

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Quiñones was married twice and had two children. His first marriage was to Gwendolyn Powell from 1976 until 1982. After divorcing Powell, Quiñones married actress Lela Rochon in 1982. Quiñones and Rochon were married until 1987. He died at his home from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease on December 29, 2020, at age 65.[18][19]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1978 Disco Fever Dancer at Jet
1980 Xanadu Xanadu Dancer Uncredited
1984 Breakin' Orlando "Ozone" Barco
1984 Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo Orlando "Ozone" Barco
1989 Tango & Cash Dancer
1990 Lambada Ramone
1993 Rave, Dancing to a Different Beat Unknown
1995 Steel Frontier Deacon
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1976 What's Happening!! Rocket Dancer Episode: "My Three Tons"
1980 The Big Show Himself 1 episode
1985 Miami Vice Pepe Episode: "The Maze"
1985 Kids Incorporated The Genie Episode: "A Lad and His Lamp"
1989 The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Himself Episode: "Dance"
1990 Married... with Children Cecil Episode: "Rock and Roll Girl"
1991 The Sitter Nick TV movie

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Herguth, Bob (1987) "Shabba Doo", Chicago Sun-Times, July 31, 1987
  2. ^ "Adolfo 'Shabba-Doo' Quiñones, star of 'Breakin" and street dance pioneer, dies at 65". NBC News. December 30, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Vadukul, Alex (13 January 2021). "Adolfo Quiñones, an Early Star of Street Dance, Dies at 65". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Ferrel, David (October 7, 1984). "Street-Dancing King Breaks Out of the Ghetto". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  5. ^ "Soul Train Licensing Info". Bet.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  6. ^ Adolfo ‘Shabba-Doo’ Quiñones, dancer from ‘Breakin’ ’ films, dies at 65, Toni Basil, his former dance partner in the Lockers, confirms the Chicago native’s death, By Darel Jevens on December 30, 2020 2:40 pm
  7. ^ Banes, Sally (1994) Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism, Wesleyan University Press; ISBN 978-0-8195-6268-5
  8. ^ "TGIF The Great Index to Fun". The San Francisco Examiner. August 22, 1980. pp. E2.
  9. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  10. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for May 4-6, 1984". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. May 7, 1984. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  11. ^ "Breakin' (1984)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  12. ^ "1984 Yearly Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  13. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  14. ^ "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Adolfo 'Shabba-Doo' Quiñones, dancer from 'Breakin' ' films, dies at 65". Chicago Sun-Times. 2020-12-30. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  16. ^ "Deadly Dancer". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  17. ^ Quinones, Adolfo. "A Breakin' Uprising". shabba-doo.com. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  18. ^ Adolfo ‘Shabba-Doo’ Quiñones, street-dance star of ‘Breakin’’ movies, dies at 65, Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  19. ^ "'Breakin' Star Shabba-Doo Adolfo Quiñones Funeral Plans Set". TMZ. January 16, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
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