Vereen was born in Miami, Florida, in 1946. After applying for a Visa to join a tour of Golden Boy in London when he was 25-years-old, Vereen learned that he had been adopted. His adoptive father, James Vereen, was a paint-factory worker, and his adoptive mother, Pauline, was a maid and theater wardrobe mistress. Vereen showed a special affinity for the arts during his pre-teen years, and made his off-off-Broadway debut at 18 in The Prodigal Son at the Greenwich Mews Theater. The following year, he was cast in Bob Fosse's production of Sweet Charity. (Getty)