Biography
Tiger Haynes pursued success across no fewer than four entertainment mediums, beginning his path in athletics as a professional boxer prior to establishing himself as a performer on both guitar and vocals, while also treading the boards in theatrical productions and later appearing in film and television roles. His career maintained momentum well into the 1990s until it was abruptly halted by heart failure. In 1991, filmmaker Spike Lee cast the veteran performer in Jungle Fever, an engagement that came more than fifty years after Haynes first took up guitar duties alongside the Three Dandies. Yet the part for which he is most often recalled remains his portrayal of the Tin Man in the late-1970s stage musical The Wiz.
Music instruction reached Haynes at an early age through lessons from his father and sibling. He had already secured a reputation throughout New York as a skilled guitarist and vocalist by the middle of the 1940s, which led to broader recognition when he joined the Three Flames for televised appearances following a three-year stint with the Three Dandies and an additional six years spent in Plink Plank and Plunk. Within the Flames lineup, which once accompanied an up-and-coming Barbara Streisand, audiences encountered pianist Roy Testamark and bassist Averill Pollard. The group maintained its primary residency at the Bon Soir nightclub, where Haynes remained an active member until 1964. Additional screen credits included appearances on the series In the Heat of the Night and The Cosby Show.
Music instruction reached Haynes at an early age through lessons from his father and sibling. He had already secured a reputation throughout New York as a skilled guitarist and vocalist by the middle of the 1940s, which led to broader recognition when he joined the Three Flames for televised appearances following a three-year stint with the Three Dandies and an additional six years spent in Plink Plank and Plunk. Within the Flames lineup, which once accompanied an up-and-coming Barbara Streisand, audiences encountered pianist Roy Testamark and bassist Averill Pollard. The group maintained its primary residency at the Bon Soir nightclub, where Haynes remained an active member until 1964. Additional screen credits included appearances on the series In the Heat of the Night and The Cosby Show.