Redd Foxx(1922-1991)
- Actor
- Autor
- Producer
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
The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)
(aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") and
The Red Skelton Hour (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), with Dick Van Dyke. The late 1980s found Foxx on a rebound, as he starred with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy 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.
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), with Dick Van Dyke. The late 1980s found Foxx on a rebound, as he starred with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy 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.