Editing Redd Foxx (section)

==Career==
===Nightclub act===
Foxx's raunchy [[nightclub]] act proved successful. After performing on the East Coast, his big break came after singer [[Dinah Washington]] insisted that he come to Los Angeles, where [[Dootsie Williams]] of Dootone records caught his act at the Brass Rail nightclub. Foxx was one of the first black comics to play to white audiences on the [[Las Vegas Strip]]. He was signed to a long-term contract and released a series of comedy albums on a half-dozen record labels that quickly became cult favorites.<ref name="People-28Oct1991">{{cite journal |last=Goodman |first=Mark |date=October 28, 1991 |title=Redd Foxx exits, laughing|journal=People |volume=36 |issue=16 |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20111147,00.html |access-date=October 11, 2010 }}</ref>

===''Sanford and Son''===
{{Main|Sanford and Son}} 
Foxx achieved his most widespread fame starring in the television sitcom ''Sanford and Son'',<ref name=NYT/> an adaptation of the [[BBC]] series ''[[Steptoe and Son]]''. Foxx played the role of Fred G. Sanford ("Fred Sanford" was Foxx's father's and brother's name), while co-star [[Demond Wilson]] played the role of his son Lamont. Fred and Lamont were owners of a junk/salvage store in [[Watts, Los Angeles|Watts]], California, who dealt with many humorous situations. The series was notable for its [[ethnic joke|racial humor]] and overt [[prejudice]]s which helped [[Sanford and Son#Production notes|redefine the genre]] of [[Black sitcom|Black situation comedy]].{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

The series premiered on the [[NBC]] television network on January 14, 1972, and was broadcast for six seasons. In 1974, Foxx was sued for $10 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=10000000|start_year=1974}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) by [[Tandem Productions]], producers of the show, for not showing up to start taping the new season.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|date=May 9, 1974|title=Fear Redd Foxx Has Blown His Wife, TV Show|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WJADAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+Jean+Harris+jet&pg=PA14|journal=Jet|volume= 46| issue =  7|pages=12}}</ref> The final episode aired on March 25, 1977.

The show also had several [[running gag]]s. When angry with Lamont, Fred would often say "You big dummy!", or he would often fake heart attacks by putting his hand on his chest and saying (usually while looking up at the sky and referring to his late wife), "Oh, this is [[Myocardial infarction|the big one]]! You hear that, Elizabeth?  I'm coming to join ya, honey!" Fred would also complain about having [[arthritis|"arthur-itis"]] to get out of work by showing Lamont his cramped hand. Foxx portrayed a character who was in his 60s, although in real life he was 48 when production began for Season 1.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Foxx used his starring role on ''Sanford and Son'' to help get jobs for acquaintances such as [[LaWanda Page]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/a-stand-up-guy-see-what-redd-foxx-risked-for-lawanda-esther-page/|title=A Stand-Up Guy: See What Redd Foxx Risked For LaWanda "Esther" Page|date=March 12, 2015|website=I Love Old School Music|language=en-US|access-date=October 26, 2019}}</ref> [[Slappy White]], [[Gregory Sierra]], [[Don Bexley]], [[Beah Richards]], [[Stymie Beard]], Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand and [[Pat Morita]].{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Wilson was asked whether he kept in touch with everybody from ''Sanford & Son'', especially the series' star himself, after the series was canceled: "No. I saw Redd Foxx once before he died, circa 1983, and I never saw him again. At the time I was playing tennis at the Malibu Racquet Club and I was approached by some producers about doing a Redd Foxx 50th Anniversary Special. I hadn't spoken to him since 1977, and I called the club where (Redd) was playing. And we met at Redd's office, but he was less than affable. I told those guys it was a bad idea. I never had a cross word with him. People say I'm protective of Redd Foxx in my book (''Second Banana'', Wilson's memoir of the ''Sanford'' years). I had no animosity toward Foxx [for quitting the show in 1977] because I had a million-dollar contract at CBS to do ''[[Baby, I'm Back|Baby... I'm Back!]]''. My hurt was that he didn't come to me about throwing the towel in—I found out in the hallway at NBC from a newscaster. I forgave him and I loved Redd, but I never forgot that. The love was there. You can watch any episode and see that."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beachcomberdestin.com/destin/article-966-qa-with-demond-wilson.html|title=Q&A With Demond Wilson|publisher=BeachcomberDestin.com|date=January 15, 2014|access-date=August 9, 2017|archive-date=August 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810011832/http://beachcomberdestin.com/destin/article-966-qa-with-demond-wilson.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Post-''Sanford and Son''===
[[File:Redd Foxx 1977.JPG|thumb|right|180px|Redd Foxx in 1977]]

In 1977, Foxx left ''Sanford and Son'' after six seasons to star in a short-lived ABC variety show, resulting in the cancellation of the NBC series. In 1980 he was back playing [[Fred G. Sanford]] in a short-lived [[revival (television)|revival]]/spin-off, ''[[Sanford (TV series)|Sanford]]''. In 1986, he returned to television in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series ''[[The Redd Foxx Show]]'', which was canceled after 12 episodes due to low ratings. Foxx appeared as an [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]]-like character in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' special of the ''[[Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)|Donny & Marie]]'' show. In an homage to his show, he mentioned the planet Sanford, which has no sun.

In 1989, Foxx was featured in the film ''[[Harlem Nights]]'', written, directed, produced and starring [[Eddie Murphy]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Murphy|first=Eddie|title=Harlem Nights|date=November 17, 1989|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097481/|type=Comedy, Crime, Drama|others=Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello|publisher=Eddie Murphy Productions, Paramount Pictures|access-date=January 15, 2021}}</ref>

Foxx made a comeback with the short-lived series ''[[The Royal Family (TV series)|The Royal Family]]'', in which he co-starred with [[Della Reese]].

At some point in the late 1970s and/or early 1980s, Foxx had a business on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood where car owners could have their vehicles' roofs "velvetized"—a process that added a fuzzy, velvety texture to the brougham vinyl tops of some cars of that period. It was called "Redd Foxx's Car Velvetizing".{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}