AdolfoQuiñones (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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
