The three-time Tony Award winner died on Monday.
The lights of Broadway are shining a bit dimmer following the death of Tony winner Hinton Battle, who died on Monday. He was 67.
Battle's longtime friend, Debbie Allen, confirmed the news in a tribute she posted to Instagram on Tuesday, which featured a collage of photos showing Battle in different Broadway productions.
"Today I honor Hinton Battle, my dear friend who left us to dance and sing in God’s Ensemble last night," Allen wrote. "He fought this battle to live and be creative impacting audiences and young people across the globe."
"Let us always hold him high in our hearts and in our mind’s eye and forever speak his name," Allen concluded.
Battle is best known for originating the role of The Scarecrow in The Wiz in 1975, which marked his Broadway debut at the age of 18.
Battle went on to win three Tony Awards -- all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical -- for his performances in Sophisticated Ladies (1981), The Tap Dance Kid (1984) and Miss Saigon (1991). He is the only actor in Tonys history to take home three awards for Featured Actor in a Musical.
The Tony Awards also honored Battle on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "In loving memory of iconic Tony Winner, Hinton Battle. His unparalleled talent and infectious energy will be deeply missed, but his legacy lives on in the hearts of all who were touched by his brilliance."
Battle appeared in the Broadway productions of Chicago, Dreamgirls and Dancin', among many others. Additionally, his TV credits include Smash, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Touched by an Angel, Quantum Leap, and The Tracey Ullman Show, to name a few.
RELATED CONTENT:
