Taurean Blacque
Blacque inHill Street Blues, 1982
Born	Herbert Middleton Jr. (1940-05-10)May 10, 1940 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	July 21, 2022(2022-07-21) (aged 82) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.[1]
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–2018
Spouse	Shelby ​ ​ (m. 1966, divorced)​ [2]
Children	12 (10 adopted)

Taurean Blacque (bornHerbert Middleton Jr.; May 10, 1940 – July 21, 2022)^[1] was an American television and stage actor, best known for his role as Detective Neal Washington on the seriesHill Street Blues. He stated that he chose the name "Taurean" because his astrological sign wasTaurus.^[3] He was at one time a national spokesman foradoptive services.^[4] Blacque was a Christian, and his faith influenced his desire to be involved with adoption.^[5]

Blacque was born Herbert Middleton Jr. on May 10, 1940, inNewark, New Jersey.^[1] Before appearing on television, Blacque trained and performed at theNew Federal Theatre in New York City, a theater founded to provide opportunities to minorities and women.^[6] Early in his acting career, Blacque began making guest appearances in sitcoms such asWhat's Happening!!,Sanford and Son,The Bob Newhart Show,The Tony Randall Show,Good Times, andTaxi, and auditioned for permanent roles on others, including Venus Flytrap onWKRP in Cincinnati, eventually played byTim Reid.^[7]

In 1981 he joined the cast of the police dramaHill Street Blues, staying with the show throughout its run, which ended in 1987. While appearing on that show, he was nominated in 1982 for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, but lost to fellowHill Street actorMichael Conrad, in a year in which all the nominees in the category came from the same series.^[8] His theatrical career continued during his run on the show, winning him anNAACPImage Award for Best Actor (Local) in 1985 for his role inAmen Corner.^[9] In 1986 his stage roles included the male lead in the musicalDon't Get God Started during its initial six-week summer run inBeverly Hills.^[10]

AfterHill Street ended, Blacque moved toAtlanta, Georgia, to provide a better home for his children. In Atlanta, he focused on theatrical work while making occasional guest appearances on television. Blacque's notable stage performances includedStepping Into Tomorrow withYolanda King in 1987^[11] and a 1988 revival ofCeremonies in Dark Old Men.^[12] His television work included a pilot,Off-Duty, forCBS, in which Blacque once again played a police officer; the show was not picked up by the network.^[13] Blacque also had a small voice role inDisney's animated filmOliver & Company as the voice of Roscoe.^[14]In 1989, he portrayed Henry Marshall onNBC'sGenerations. His film work in this period included a lead role in the 1989 science-fiction filmDeepStar Six.

Blacque initially was asked to serve as spokesman for theCounty of Los Angeles Adoption Services office although he had no adoptive children at the time. Upon looking into the possibility of adoption, he claimed he was told that he was ineligible to adopt, as an unmarried man. He pressed on, however, eventually adopting ten children, in addition to his two sons from a marriage which ended in divorce in 1966. He apparently never remarried.^{[citation needed]}

In 1989, he was asked by PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush to serve as a national spokesman for adoption.^[4]

His death, at age 82, inAtlanta, Georgia, following "a brief illness", was first announced on Facebook on July 21, 2022. He was survived by his 12 children, 18 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.^[1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toTaurean Blacque.

• Taurean Blacque atIMDb
• Taurean Blacque discography atDiscogs

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