Kiki Shepard, the longtime cohost of the iconic music showcase Showtime at the Apollo, has passed away at the age of 74, TMZ reports. According to her representative, LaShirl Smith, Shepard suffered a massive heart attack in Los Angeles on Monday, and her death was unexpected.
Shepard became a familiar face to millions from 1987 to 2002, sharing the stage with Steve Harvey and introducing aspiring performers at the legendary Apollo Theater. Beyond “Showtime at the Apollo,” she appeared on TV series including A Different World, Baywatch, Baywatch Nights, NYPD Blue, Everybody Hates Chris, Grey’s Anatomy, and Mind Your Business, and appeared in the film Blackjack Christmas.
Shepard also had a presence on Broadway, performing in productions such as Bubbling Brown Sugar, Reggae, Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, and Porgy and Bess. Her entertainment career began in the early 1970s as a professional dancer with the D.C. Repertory Dance Company, touring internationally before transitioning to television and theater.
Her impact on entertainment, from dance to television to Broadway, left a lasting legacy. Kiki Shepard was 74.#newsafro_
