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'Redd Foxx' (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), born 'John Elroy Sanford', was an American comedian best known for his starring role on the television sitcom ''Sanford and Son''.

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

Nightclub act

''Sanford and Son''

Post-''Sanford and Son'' career and personal woes

Death

Trivia

TV Work

Filmography

Notes

External links

Further reading

Biography

Early life and career

Foxx was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised on Chicago's South Side. His mother was part Native American, Seminole, making Foxx one quarter Seminole Indian. His father, an electrician, left the family when Foxx was four. He was raised by his mother, his minister, and his grandmother. He briefly attended DuSable High School with future Chicago mayor Harold Washington, but never graduated. Moving to New York in the early 1940s, he was a well-known associate of Malcolm Little (later known as Malcolm X). According to Malcolm's autobiography, Foxx was a dishwasher in the speakeasy where Malcolm worked as a waiter. (While Little was known as "Detroit Red," having grown up in Michigan, Foxx was dubbed "Chicago Red," due to his reddish hair and complexion. His second stage name was taken from baseball star Jimmie Foxx.)

Nightclub act

Foxx gained notoriety with his raunchy nightclub act. His stand-up performances were later released as "party" albums and became very popular. Foxx paved the way for later black comedians such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock.

''Sanford and Son''

The character of Fred Sanford was named after Foxx's own brother, Fred, who had died.
He was also one of the first black comics to play to white audiences on the Las Vegas Strip. Foxx used his starring role on ''Sanford and Son'' to help get jobs for his friends such as LaWanda Page, Slappy White, and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita. Foxx also battled with producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin for higher paychecks and creative control of the show. Writer Alan Rafkin touched on some of Foxx's clashes with Lear and Yorkin in the book ''Cue the Bunny on the Rainbow''.

Post-''Sanford and Son'' career and personal woes

In 1977, ''Sanford and Son'' was cancelled and Foxx struck out on his own by starring in a short-lived variety show, but by the early 1980s he was back playing Fred Sanford in a brief revival/spin-off, ''Sanford''.
Foxx had numerous battles with the IRS that culminated in a 1989 "raid" in which agents seized his house and assets (and even some of the jewelry right off his body).
Foxx openly criticized younger comedians such as Eddie Murphy for not coming to his aid financially when the IRS was pursuing his fortune.

Death

Foxx appeared to be making a comeback with the 1991 series ''The Royal Family'', in which he co-starred with his long-time friend Della Reese. During a break from rehearsals on October 11, 1991, a fatal heart attack felled him on the set. Reportedly, Reese and the rest of the cast and crew thought he was doing his classic (and in this case, ironic) "I'm coming, Elizabeth" fake heart attack routine he made famous on ''Sanford And Son'', even going as far as collapsing to the floor, although that was not part of the usual schtick. However, this heart attack was real, and Foxx never regained consciousness.
A few years after Foxx's death several buyers of his home claimed his property was 'haunted' by him. Some people have even gone as far as claiming Foxx faked his death because he still owed the IRS money. Martin Lawrence poked fun at these claims on the pilot of his sitcom. He said, "The man is faking it. What would you do if you owed 16 billion dollars in taxes"?

Trivia

★ Foxx was actually only in his late 40's and early 50's when he played Fred Sanford even though they said he was 65.

★ Redd Foxx has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

★ Foxx also appeared ringside at the famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner (the match that inspired actor Sylvester Stallone to write the movie ''Rocky'') near Cleveland, Ohio in 1975. Foxx also served as co-commentator.

★ Comedian Chris Rock cites Redd Foxx as an influence and based an episode of his show Everybody Hates Chris around young Chris overhearing his parents' Redd Foxx albums and getting started doing stand-up through retelling the jokes at school.

★ In "The Last Temptation of Krust", an episode of ''The Simpsons'', Krusty the Clown said of Redd Foxx, "God bless his smutty soul."

TV Work

★ ''Sanford and Son'' (1972-1977)

★ ''The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour'' (1977-1978)

★ ''HBO On Location with Redd Foxx (1978)

★ ''Sanford'' (1980-1981)

★ ''Viva Shaf Vegas'' (1986)

★ ''The Redd Foxx Show'' (1986) (cancelled after 4 months)

★ ''Ghost of a Chance'' (1987)

★ ''The Royal Family'' (1991)

Filmography

★ ''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' (1960)

★ ''Cotton Comes to Harlem'' (1970)

★ ''Norman... Is That You?'' (1976)

★ ''Harlem Nights'' (1989)

Notes

External links

★ Official Website

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★ Redd Foxx at NNDB

★ I Miss Redd Foxx by Mark Evanier

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★ Redd Foxx at Find A Death

Further reading