TRIBUTE FOR DALLAS ACTOR/SINGER JEFF KINMAN

 

This official announcement was sent for public publication at the request of Jeff Kinman's partner Adam Wright, his best friends, and his family:

 

Fly, fly away
So now they want to clip his precious wings and bring him down
But in his heart and soul's the kind of good they can't destroy
So now I wanna see him fly, fly
I'll be your alibi, my baby

Fly, fly, fly away
We didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye
No need to tell me why, my baby
Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day

 

 

These simple words were the poignant lyrics sung by Jeff Kinman at his last public performance in May of 2012. It was his eighth time participating in Broadway Our Way, an annual fundraiser held by Uptown Players. He had been battling Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for many years and was beginning the downward slope of his illness. He appeared weak and a bit gaunt, but when he opened his mouth and began to sing, the audience thought of nothing but his beautiful performance. He withdrew from the public eye shortly after to battle his illness in private.

Jeff took his last breath a few short months later in the early hours of December 28th, 2012. He was surrounded by friends and family. He spent the last two weeks of his life wrapped in love and comfort at Legacy Founders Cottage in Oak Cliff. He was 47 years old.

Jeff was known far and wide in the Dallas theater community for his soaring tenor voice and his perfectionist approach, which always guaranteed a beautiful performance. He was also a renowned voice teacher, having reached the dream of opening his very own Vocal Studio in 2011.

Jeff had a knack for sarcasm and a reputation for a no-nonsense approach to everything around him. He was honest and direct, with a heart of pure gold. He had a dry sense of humor that was matched with a feisty wit, and he topped it all off with impeccable taste.

Jeff received critical acclaim for many of his performances in the area, including his role as "Buddy" in Uptown Players' Rabin Award winning production of The Last Session and as "The Minister" in A New Brain. He performed regularly with Uptown Players, Lyric Stage, Theatre Three, Theatre Arlington, Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre and many other venues. He was an active member of Actors' Equity Association.

He met his partner of nine years, local Music Director and Composer Adam C. Wright, when they both worked on a Cabaret hosted by Uptown Players at After Dark on Cedar Springs in 2003.

During their relationship, they embarked on many projects in the area, including the acclaimed run of Into the Woods at Richardson Theatre Center, and writing the musical A Taste of Beauty along with John de los Santos, which was featured at the Uptown Players' Inaugural Pride Performing Arts Festival. Jeff and Adam lived in the Turtle Creek area of Dallas.

Funeral Services are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jeff's honor to Legacy Founders Cottage.

www.legacycares.org

 

 

OBITUARY- JEFF KINMAN | 1965-2012

Jeffrey (Jeff) Elton Kinman (47), of Dallas, passed away in the early hours of Friday, December 28, 2012 after a long battle with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). He was surrounded by close friends and family during his brief stay at Legacy Founders Cottage, a hospice home facility located in Oak Cliff. Before that, he was a long-time resident of the Turtle Creek area where he lived with his partner of nine years, Adam Wright.

Jeff was born on May 26th, 1965 in Dallas, TX to Mavis and John Kinman. He grew up in Dallas, where he attended and graduated from Bryan Adams High School in 1983. A beloved member of the DFW Theatre Community, Jeff was known as a performer with a flawless tenor voice, a vocal coach to many of the area's
finest aspiring artists, a composer, and a friend and supporter of the performing arts.

Jeff is survived by his partner, Adam Wright; his mother, Mavis Kinman; his brother, Bill McGee and Bill's wife, Judi; his sister, Kathy Northcutt; his nephews, Chris McGee, Marc Northcutt, and Craig McGee; his niece, Kelley
Northcutt; and many close friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, John J. Kinman, and his brothers, Johnny and Joe Kinman.

Funeral Services are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jeff's honor to Legacy Founders Cottage. www.legacycares.org

 

ON A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:

I personally received a call this morning informing me that Jeff passed away at 2:30am this morning. But I was asked not to publish anything (via THE COLUMN or face book) until I was given permission, which I respected, understood, and agreed upon.

I first saw Jeff's talents in the regional premiere of the musical THE LAST SESSION.

I gave it a glorious review, but in particular praised the incredible, exquisite, and powerful singing voice of a new talent within the DFW Theater community. That would be Jeff Kinman.

Several years later Jeff and I both did Uptown Players' BROADWAY OUR WAY. I did two years of BOW and Jeff was in both as well. That's when I finally got to know him. In both shows, at intermission, Jeff and I would be backstage ready for Act 2, and every single night we would have the most personal, private, and insightful conversations. I got to know the man behind that beautiful voice.

No one else had that marvelous tenor voice that came out of Jeff. He had that rare gift of song and a profound way of lyric interpretation.

We sincerely lost today one of the most beautiful voices that came from a big, wonderful heart and soul. The Dallas stage and theater community has lost a true treasure today. My prayers are with Adam, his best friends, and his family. God soothe their grief and pain.

-John Garcia