Broadway performer, singer, actor, and dancer, Adrian Bailey, has died at the age of 67. According to Adrian's brother via The Hollywood Reporter, Karl, he had recently suffered a fall in his New York apartment and, later, died on Sunday in a rehabilitation center in New York. Adrian's Broadway career ended after he suffered from a serious 36-foot fall back in 2008 before a matinee performance of The Little Mermaid.
Born in 1957, Bailey grew up in Detroit taking dance and voice lessons. After finishing high school, moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a Broadway performer. He eventually made his Broadway debut in 1976. He became part of the ensemble of Your Arms Too Short To Box With God, an Alex Bradford musical.
Later, he joined other productions which include Legs Diamond, Jelly's Last Jam, Kiss of the Spider Woman, La Cage aux Folles, Sophisticated Ladies, and The Who's Tommy, among others. Bailey was part of the cast of several films such as The Kings of Brooklyn, The Wiz, The Josephine Baker Story, and N.Y.P.D Mounted.
However, an unfortunate accident ended his Broadway career. In 2008, when he was a King Triton understudy in The Little Mermaid, he suffered a fall. He walked through an open trap door and fell for 36 feet before hitting the stage at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater. He suffered numerous fractures on his hip, back, sternum, ribs, and foot, among others, and herniated several vertebral discs.
While he underwent numerous surgeries, he never made it back to the stage due to the gravity of his injuries. According to his brother, while he eventually walked, he was unable to travel for more than two hours at a time. He did, however, survive for almost two decades, far more than what was originally predicted.
Remembering Adrian Bailey
Many have reacted on social media after hearing the news of Adrian's passing. Lucie Arnaz, singer and actress, posted on Instagram: "When I co-starred with Tommy Tune for 7 months in 'My One and Only', Adrian was our gentle giant. The talent and compassion he had were beyond description."
54 Below, a Broadway supper club, also commented on Bailey's death: "We're deeply saddened by the loss of Adrian Bailey, whose many credits included the original cast of Smokey Joe's Cafe." They continue: "We were lucky enough to have him w/ us many times, & his presence will be missed."
In response to the announcement, one user fondly remembered Bailey. "We had dinner just before the pandemic, and his stories of his career were fascinating," said the user. "We didn't want the evening to end. Rest well, my friend."
