Redd Foxx
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.[3] However, this heart attack was real, and Foxx never regained consciousness. He was 68 years old.
Foxx was given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame on May 17, 1992.[1]
A few years after Foxx's death several buyers of his home claimed his property was 'haunted' by him.[4][5] 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?".
Comedian Chris Rock cites Redd Foxx as an influence. An episode of his show Everybody Hates Chris shows young Chris Rock overhearing his parents' Redd Foxx albums and getting started doing stand-up through retelling the jokes at school.
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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)
Also by his side was long time friend Eddie Murphy who gave a a fond farewell.
[
Filmography
- All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960)
- Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)
- Norman... Is That You? (1976)
- Harlem Nights (1989)
[
References
- ^ a b c Redd Foxx. St. Louis Walk of Fame. St. Louis Walk of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-09-23. “Born John Elroy Sanford in St. Louis, he left home at age 16 to join a New York street band.... Date of Birth: 12-9-1922; Field/Achievement: Acting/Entertainment; Location of Star: 6331 Delmar; Date of Induction: 5-17-1992”
- ^ Redd Foxx (I) - Biography
- ^ Ingram, Billy. TVparty!: Television's Untold Tales, Bonus Books, 2002, p. 262. ISBN 1566251842
- ^ Oberding, Janice. Haunted Nevada, upublish.com, p. 94. ISBN 1581126743.
- ^ Hayes, Justin Cord. 101 Things You Didn't Know About Casino Gambling, Adams Media, 2006, pp. 250-251. ISBN 1593373678
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External links
- Official Website
- Redd Foxx at the Internet Movie Database
- Redd Foxx at NNDB
- I Miss Redd Foxx by Mark Evanier
- Redd Foxx at Find A Grave
- Redd Foxx at Find A Death
[
Further reading
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