Redd Foxx

68
Redd Foxx bigraphy, stories - Comedian, actor

Redd Foxx : biography

December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991

John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), known professionally as Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best remembered for his explicit comedy records and his starring role on the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son.

Foxx gained notoriety with his raunchy nightclub acts during the 1950s and 1960s. Known as the "King of the Party Records", he performed on more than 50 records in his lifetime. He also starred in Sanford, The Redd Foxx Show and The Royal Family. His film roles included All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960) and Harlem Nights (1989).

With three failed marriages and various financial problems, Foxx reportedly owed more than $3.6 million in taxes at the time of his death.

In 2004, Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time ranked Foxx as the 24th best stand-up comedian., IMDb. Foxx not only influenced many comedians, but was often portrayed in popular culture as well, mainly as a result of his famous catchphrases, body language and facial expressions exhibited on Sanford and Son.

Career

Nightclub act

Foxx gained notoriety with his nightclub act during the 1950s and 1960s (considered by the standards of the time to be raunchy). His big break came after singer Dinah Washington insisted that he come to Los Angeles, where Dootsie Williams of Dootone records caught his act at the Brass Rail nightclub. Foxx was signed to a long-term contract and released a series of comedy albums that quickly became cult favorites.

Known as the "King of the party records," Foxx performed on over 50 records in his lifetime.

He was also one of the first black comics to play to white audiences on the Las Vegas Strip. He used his starring role on Sanford and Son to help get jobs for his friends such as LaWanda Page, Slappy White, Gregory Sierra, Don Bexley, Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita.

Sanford and Son

Foxx achieved his most widespread fame starring in the television sitcom, Sanford and Son, an adaptation of the BBC series, Steptoe and Son. The series premiered on the NBC television network on January 14, 1972 and was broadcast for six seasons. The final episode aired on March 25, 1977.

Foxx played the role of Fred G. Sanford ("Fred Sanford" was actually Foxx’s father’s name), while Foxx’s co-star Demond Wilson played the role of his son Lamont. In this sitcom, Fred and Lamont were owners of a junk/salvage store who dealt with many humorous situations that would arise. The series was notable for its racial humor and overt prejudices which helped redefined the genre of black situation comedy.

The show also had several running gags. When angry with Lamont (Demond Wilson), Fred (Redd Foxx) would often say "You big dummy" or would often fake heart attacks by putting his hand on his chest and saying (usually while looking up at the sky) "It’s the big one, I’m coming to join ‘ya honey/Elizabeth" (referring to his late wife Elizabeth). Fred would also complain about having arthritis to get out of working by showing Lamont his cramped hand. Foxx depicted a character in his 60s, although in real life he was younger.

Post-Sanford and Son career

In 1977, Foxx left Sanford and Son, after six seasons (and the show was canceled due to his departure) to star in a short-lived variety show, but by 1980 he was back playing Fred G. Sanford in a brief revival/spin-off, Sanford. In 1986, he returned to series television in the ABC series The Redd Foxx Show, which was cancelled after 12 episodes due to low ratings.

Foxx appeared to make a comeback (until his death) with the series, The Royal Family, in which he co-starred with his long-time friend Della Reese.

Early life

Foxx was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised on Chicago’s South Side. His mother, Mary (Hughes) Sanford Carson from Ellisville, Mississippi, was half Seminole Indian. His father, Fred Sanford, from Heckman, Kentucky, was an electrician and auto mechanic, who left his family when Foxx was four years old. Foxx was raised by his mother, his minister, and his grandmother. He briefly attended DuSable High School with future Chicago mayor Harold Washington.