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Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx was born John Elroy Sanford in St. Louis, Missouri on December 9, 1922. He got the nickname Redd because of his ruddy complexion. He used the name Foxx because he admired the Major League Baseball player, Jimmie Foxx. Redd left St. Louis for Chicago when he was 13 and supported himself by playing the washboard in a band. When the band broke up three years later, he went to New York City. He became friends with a man called Malcolm Little, who would later be known as Malcolm X. In Malcom’s autobiography, Redd was referred to as the “funniest dishwasher on this earth.”
Redd began performing as a comedian/actor in black theaters and nightclubs. From 1951-1955 he teamed with comic Slappy White, who later acted with him on Sanford and Son and The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour. While he was performing in Los Angeles, Redd was offered a deal with Dooto records and received $25 for his first recording. In the years that followed, he would produce over 50 comedic albums. As cultural barriers began to wear down during the 1960s, Foxx’s audience grew steadily. In 1972, after his film debut in Ossie Davis’ Cotton Comes to Harlem, Norman Lear signed Foxx as the junk dealer Fred Sanford in the big hit, Sanford and Son. The program ranked in the top ten almost every week that it aired.
As executive producer, Foxx launched his own show, The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour, on September 15, 1977. His cast included Sarah Hardy, Slappy White, “Iron Jaw” Wilson, Billy Barty, Hal Smith, Bill Saluga and The Gerald Wilson Orchestra. Foxx was excited about the variety show’s open forum, which included skits, bits, and obnoxious things. In keeping with the show’s tone, his opening monologue included reading a list of guest stars who would not appear on the program. But guest stars who would appear, included comedian Andy Kaufman and Bob Einstein (Super Dave Osborne). During the first episode, well aware that he was infamous for a special brand of raunchy comedy, he joked, “The only thing I can use from my nightclub act is smoke.” To demonstrate clever and on-the-ball wit, Foxx also took live questions from the audience during his monologue. The program’s undisciplined nature made it extremely adventurous for the 1970s, and challenged both the audience and the censors to speculate what he would come up with next.
Foxx’s next gig was Las Vegas, where he instantly became a headliner and thoroughly enjoyed unleashing his unbridled humor. In 1989, he and long-time friend Della Reese co-starred in Eddie Murphy’s Harlem Nights. Because of the pair’s performance, CBS signed the two for a new sitcom, The Royal Family. Sadly, while on the set of The Royal Family, Foxx suffered a massive heart attack. Reese bent over him and prayed, “Don’t die Redd, don’t die,” but it was too late. The world lost comedic genius Redd Foxx on October 11, 1991. Foxx’s albums stand as proof of his legacy having sold over 15 million copies and counting.
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Click picture and listen to Redd's
Comedy Hour Monologue
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