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Redd Foxx

Age: 68 (passed away Oct. 11th, 1991)
Height: 5' 8"

Birth Place: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Born: Dec. 9th, 1922

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Redd Foxx's Main TV Roles

Show	Character(s)
Sanford and Son	Fred G. Sanford
Grady	Fred Sanford
The Flip Wilson Show	Redd Foxx
The Jacksons	Redd Foxx
The Royal Family	Alfonso Royal
Dinah!	Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx	Redd Foxx
Sammy and Company	Redd Foxx
Sanford	Fred Sanford
The Name of the Game	Redd Foxx
The Redd Foxx Show	Al Hughes

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

BIOGRAPHY:

Redd Foxx began doing stand-up comedy on the infamous "Chitlin' Circuit" in the 1940s and 1950s. Foxx was one of the premier "blue humor" comedians. Blue humor was very dirty, too dirty for white audiences. For years his party albums were not available in white record stores. In the 1960s his records became available, although marginally in white record stores, leading to minor comedy work on "Toast of the Town" (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") and "The Red Skelton Show" (1951), among other classic variety shows of the time. Foxx developed a fan base in the 1960s that led to increased notoriety. He received his own television series in 1972 called "Sanford and Son" (1972), which was a reworking of the British sitcom "Steptoe and Son" (1962). Foxx's character, Fred Sanford (was actually Foxx's brother's name), was a cranky old man who was set in his ways and would insult both friends and strangers at the drop of a hat. He ran a junkyard in Watts, a bad neighborhood in Los Angeles, with his son Lamont (played by Demond Wilson). The show broke down racial stereotypes and was a huge success, making Foxx and the show household names. Foxx fought a very public battle with the writers and producers of the show, claiming that they did not do enough to promote the black experience, and in general complained there were not enough black writers or producers in the entertainment industry. These highly publicized disputes led to the show faltering artistically, but not in the ratings. Foxx left the show in 1977 to accomplish his dream on ABC: his own variety show, which lasted less than a year. He also starred in the controversial film Norman... Is That You? (1976).

Foxx's trouble with the law and the Internal Revenue Service hampered his career in the early 1980s. He flopped yet again with the sitcom "The Redd Foxx Show" (1986) on ABC. He did, however, find success playing a ghost in the TV movie Ghost of a Chance (1987) (TV), with 'Dick van Dyke'. The late 1980s found Foxx on a rebound, as he starred with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy (I) in the popular Harlem Nights (1989), which showcased the three premiere black comedians of their respective generations. A whole new generation of comedians begin claiming Redd Foxx as a major influence on their careers, including Murphy and Pryor. Foxx looked like he was finding success 20 years after "Sanford and Son" (1972) with "The Royal Family" (1991). However, we will never know if the show would have been a success--while rehearsing for an episode, Foxx collapsed and was rushed to a hospital. He died in October of 1991. Redd Foxx will be remembered as a pioneering comedian who influenced generations of comedians and helped break down racial barriers in the the entertainment industry. His influence seems as strong as ever.

TRIVIA:

Was one-quarter Seminole Indian.
Briefly attended Du Sable High School in Chicago with future Mayor of Chicago, 'Harold Washington' (qv).
One of the few performers to have the lead role in a television show on the three main networks. He was the lead in Sanford and Son, on NBC, the Royal Family, on CBS, and in the Redd Foxx show, and the Redd Foxx Comedy Hour on ABC.
Was the only artist to be invited to 'Elvis Presley' (qv)'s wedding at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, on May 1, 1967.
Was expelled from one school on the first day for throwing a book at a teacher.
Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 165-167. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
Died of heart attack on the set of _"The Royal Family" (1991)_ (qv).
Appeared on _"The Flip Wilson Show" (1970)_ (qv) on January 13th, 1972, the night before the classic _"Sanford and Son" (1972)_ (qv) debuted. The two shows were on the same network: NBC.