Mimi Hines—legendary singer, comedian, television personality, and Broadway performer who famously replaced Barbra Streisand in the original cast of Funny Girl—passed away on Monday, October 21, at age 91 of natural causes. Mark Sendroff, Hines’ longtime attorney, confirmed her demise in a statement to various US media houses, noting she died peacefully at her home in Las Vegas.
Born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1933, Hines showed an interest in showbiz at a very young age. By 12, she was already performing in nightclubs. Who knew then that she would go on to make a name for herself in the industry as part of the duo Ford and Hines, alongside the late actor and comic Phil Ford?
The pair met in 1952 while working in different nightclubs in Alaska. They began working together when Ford’s female partner accidentally broke her ankle, and Hines, then 19, stepped in as a substitute. Love soon followed, and the pair married within two years of meeting in 1954.
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Ford and Hines grabbed national attention in 1958 after an appearance on The Tonight Show. There, Hines sang Till There Was You from Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man and, as the story goes, moved Jack Paar to tears.
Subsequently, the pair became regulars on a range of variety and talk programs like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The David Frost Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Garry Moore Show, Pat Boone in Hollywood, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and more. Hines also became a go-to star for game show appearances.
A sitcom pilot titled Mimi was shot in 1964, featuring Hines and Ford as owners of a resort hotel, but it was never picked up.
After years of headlining top showrooms and nightclubs, Hines landed the role of a lifetime: Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Barbra Streisand was originally set to continue the role but had to step down.
Hines made her Broadway debut with the role in December 1965 and remained in the production for 18 months, through July 1, 1967, with Ford playing opposite her as Eddie Ryan, a dancer and director who takes a chance on Fanny during vaudeville days.
I Do, I Do!, Prisoner of Second Avenue, Sugar Babies, Hello Sunshine, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, No, No, Nanette, and Sugar were some other productions she appeared in, some alongside Ford.
Hines, also a successful singer, recorded several albums, including Mimi Hines Sings and Mimi Hines Is A Happening.
Hines and Ford divorced in 1972, though they remained professionally linked, reuniting for joint appearances on several occasions. Ford died in 2005 at age 85. The two never had children, so no survivors remain except a “legion of fans,” per Sendroff.
The duo was recently awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame. The scheduled ceremony will now serve as a celebration of Mimi’s life and career.
