Redd Foxx: King of Comedy and Television
Redd Foxx (9 December 1922 – 11 October 1991) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He achieved his greatest fame starring as Fred G. Sanford in the television sitcom Sanford and Son, and was known as the “King of the Party Records” for his prolific output of comedy albums.
Early Life and Education
John Elroy Sanford was born on December 9, 1922, in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised on Chicago’s South Side. His father, Fred “Freddie” Sanford, worked as an electrician and auto mechanic but left the family after 1930. Foxx was raised by his half-Seminole mother, Mary Hughes, his grandmother, and his minister. He attended DuSable High School in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, where he was a classmate of future Chicago mayor Harold Washington. On July 27, 1939, at age 16, Foxx performed on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio show as part of the Jump Swinging Six.
In the 1940s, while working as a dishwasher at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem, Foxx befriended Malcolm Little, who later became known as Malcolm X. Both men had reddish hair; Sanford was called “Chicago Red” after his hometown, while Malcolm was known as “Detroit Red.” Malcolm X later referred to Foxx in his autobiography as “the funniest dishwasher on this earth.” During World War II, Foxx dodged the draft by eating half a bar of soap before his physical examination, a trick that caused heart palpitations. On September 30, 1946, he recorded five songs for the Savoy label under the direction of Teddy Reig.
Career and Achievements
Foxx built his early reputation through a raunchy nightclub act that attracted audiences across the country. After performing on the East Coast, singer Dinah Washington encouraged him to move to Los Angeles, where Dootsie Williams of Dootone Records discovered his act at the Brass Rail nightclub. Foxx became one of the first Black comedians to perform to white audiences on the Las Vegas Strip and was signed to a long-term contract. He released comedy albums on multiple record labels that became cult favorites, eventually performing on more than 50 records during his lifetime.
Foxx achieved his most widespread fame through the television sitcom Sanford and Son, which premiered on NBC on January 14, 1972. The show was an adaptation of the BBC series Steptoe and Son and starred Foxx as Fred G. Sanford, with Demond Wilson playing his son Lamont. The characters owned a junk and salvage store in Watts, California. The series was notable for its racial humor and overt prejudices, which helped redefine Black situation comedy. During the show’s six-year run, Foxx portrayed a character in his 60s, though he was actually 48 when production began. The series concluded on March 25, 1977.
Foxx used his platform on Sanford and Son to help launch the careers of numerous performers, including LaWanda Page, Slappy White, Gregory Sierra, Don Bexley, Beah Richards, Stymie Beard, Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand, and Pat Morita. His character became known for catchphrases and physical comedy, including the line “You big dummy!” and his famous fake heart attack routine, where he would clutch his chest and say, “Oh, this is the big one! You hear that, Elizabeth? I’m coming to join ya, honey!” He also portrayed a character with “arthur-itis” to avoid work.
In 1974, Foxx was sued for $10 million by Tandem Productions, the show’s producers, for failing to appear for the start of a new season’s taping. After Sanford and Son ended, Foxx starred in the short-lived ABC variety show Redd Foxx in 1977, as well as The Redd Foxx Show and The Royal Family. His film appearances included All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), Norman… Is That You? (1976), and Harlem Nights (1989).
Notable Events and Milestones
Foxx’s influence on comedy and popular culture extended well beyond his television work. In 2004, more than a decade after his death, he ranked 24th in Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. His catchphrases, body language, and facial expressions from Sanford and Son became iconic and were frequently referenced and portrayed in popular culture. The show itself helped establish a new template for Black situation comedy on network television.
Awards and Honors
During Sanford and Son’s six-year run, Foxx won a Golden Globe Award and received three additional Golden Globe nominations. He also received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the series. In 1992, a year after his death, Foxx was posthumously given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Additional Resources
Redd Foxx’s legacy as a pioneering Black comedian and television star continues to be studied and celebrated. Readers seeking more detailed information about his life, career, and cultural impact can find extensive biographical materials through Wikipedia and other entertainment history archives.
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