Born on May 11, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, Shabba Doo was the stage name of actor, dancer, and choreographer Adolfo Quiñones.
He became interested in performing when his family moved to Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and soon began dancing in nightclubs. When he joined the dance group The Lockers — responsible for popularizing the locking style of street dance — his profile escalated, and he began appearing regularly in mainstream productions and media.
He most famously played Orlando “Ozone” Barco, one of the lead characters in the 1984 breakdancing-themed musical film Breakin’ and its sequel Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo in the same year. Other movies he appeared in included 1978’s Disco Fever, 1980’s Xanadu, 1989’s Tango & Cash, and 1990’s Lambada.
Shabba Doo also appeared on television in episodes of Miami Vice, Kids Incorporated, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, and Married… with Children, amongst other shows.
As a choreographer, he performed and choreographed dances for such high-profile stars as Madonna, Luther Vandross, Three Six Mafia, Chaka Khan, and Lionel Richie. He appeared in the video for the latter’s classic song “All Night Long.”
Sadly, he died on Dec. 29, 2020, in Los Angeles at 65. But what happened?
How did Shabba Doo die?
As per TMZ, the medical examiner listed Shabba Doo’s cause of death as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, otherwise known as clogged arteries.
Initially, upon the announcement of his passing, as per Variety, the cause of death wasn’t known, but he was discovered unconscious just one day after posting that he was feeling better after a period of battling COVID-19. He wrote on Facebook, “Good news y’all! I’m feeling all better, just a wee bit sluggish from my cold, but the good news is I’m Covid 19 negative! Woo hoo!”
His memorial service was held on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at a Los Angeles church. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only his immediate family — his two children and his siblings — were allowed to attend it.
May Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quiñones rest in peace.