MPR News with Angela Davis

Gary Hines looks back at five decades with Sounds of Blackness

Man with piano and drum looks at camera
Gary Hines has been music director for the three-time Grammy Award-winning musical group Sounds of Blackness since 1971.
Courtesy Sounds of Blackness

It’s not an exaggeration to call Minneapolis musician Gary Hines legendary. 

Hines is the music director and producer for the three-time Grammy Award-winning musical group Sounds of Blackness. He has been a fixture in the Twin Cities music scene for more than 50 years. 

He’s performed with Sounds of Blackness in cities across the world. He’s worked with artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Dolly Parton. And he teaches across the country and internationally about the history, impact and evolution of African-American music and culture. 

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with Hines about his career, Sounds of Blackness and what he is working on now. 

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