Kiki Shepard, the longtime host of Showtime at the Apollo and an actress on shows like A Different World, Baywatch, and NYPD Blue, has passed away.
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Her representative told TMZ that Shepard died of a massive heart attack on March 16. She was 74.
Shepard was best known for co-hosting Showtime at the Apollo from 1987 to 2002. She shared the stage with partners like Sinbad and Steve Harvey on the syndicated variety show, which was based at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater.
Comedian Loni Love took to Instagram to pay tribute to Kiki Shepard.
“Heartbroken and stunned by the news of @thekikishepard’s passing.. she was a constant presence, always supportive,” Lovr wrote alongside a video highlighting Shepard’s trailblazing work on TV. “Her smile will be deeply missed, but her legacy lives on. My deepest condolences to her loved ones and fans,” Love added.
While hosting Showtime, Shepard also worked as an actress, appearing on shows like A Different World, Baywatch, and NYPD Blue. More recently, she played herself in Everybody Hates Chris and had a role in Grey’s Anatomy.
She also had a small, uncredited role as a citizen of the Emerald City in the 1978 film The Wiz.
Born Chiquita Renee Shepard, she was raised in Tyler, Texas. According to The Tyler Courier-Times, Shepard and her two sisters grew up as baton twirlers, majorettes, and dancers. A 1994 article from the same publication noted that her parents were former competitive dancers before becoming teachers in Tyler.
According to her nonprofit focused on sickle cell disease, The KIS Foundation, she later graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. While in college, Shepard was a member of the D.C. Repertory Dance Company and joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Sherri Shepherd Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Kiki Shepard: ‘Devastated That You Are Gone’
Shepard began her career in theater productions in Washington, D.C., and New York, and she danced at the 1977 Academy Awards. She also spent ten years dancing on Broadway alongside stars like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson, as she mentioned in a 2023 appearance on Sherri.
Just last year, Kiki Shepard joined Sherri Shepherd at the ceremony honoring Sherri Shepherd’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sherri Shepherd herself also paid tribute to Kiki Shepard in the wake of her passing.
“If you knew KiKi, you knew she was always smiling and laughing. She was the life of every party. She could make you feel wonderful with just a touch, a text, and a tight hug,” Shepherd wrote alongside a video montage.
Shepherd added, “Kiki, I am devastated that you are gone, but I am rejoicing because you LIVED and you lived boldly and joyfully. Your love of God was evident, and I know you are having a ball up there. I love you, friend.”