Editing Redd Foxx

{{Short description|American comedian and actor (1922–1991)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name          = Redd Foxx 
| image         = Redd Foxx 1966.JPG
| caption       = Foxx in 1966
| birth_name    = John Elroy Sanford<ref name=starr>Starr, Michael Seth. ''Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story'', Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, p. 1. {{ISBN|978-1557837547}}.</ref>
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1922|12|9}}<ref name="starr" />
| birth_place   = [[St. Louis]], Missouri, U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1991|10|11|1922|12|9}}
| death_place   = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
<!-- Infobox comedian does not support the following parameter:
| death_cause   = [[Heart attack]]
-->
| resting_place = Palm Eastern Cemetery, Las Vegas, Nevada<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2016/may/10/final-resting-place-11-celebs-buried-las-vegas/|title=Final resting place: 11 celebs you might not know are buried in Las Vegas - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper|first=Chris|last=Kudialis|date=May 10, 2016|website=lasvegassun.com}}</ref>
| education     = [[DuSable High School]]
<!-- Infobox comedian does not support the following parameter:
| occupation    = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* comedican
* screenwriter
* television producer}}
-->
| medium        = {{hlist|[[Stand-up comedy|Stand-up]]|[[television]]}}
<!-- Infobox comedian does not support the following parameter:
| residence     = St Louis, Missouri
                  New York City, New York
-->
| years_active  = 1935–1991 
| genre         = {{hlist|[[Word play]]|[[observational comedy]]|[[black comedy]]|[[blue comedy]]| [[insult comedy]]}}
| subject       = {{hlist|[[African-American culture]]|[[human sexuality]]|[[race relations]]|[[everyday life]]}}
| spouse        = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Evelyn Killebrew<br />|1948|1951|reason=div.}}
* {{marriage|Betty Jean Harris<br />|1956|1975|reason=div.}}
* {{marriage|Joi Yun Chi Chung<br />|1976|1981|reason=div.}}
* {{marriage|Ka Ho Cho<br />|1991}}
}}
| notable_works = [[Fred G. Sanford]] in ''[[Sanford and Son]]'' and ''[[Sanford (TV series)|Sanford]]''
| website       = {{URL|reddfoxx.com}}
}}
	
'''John Elroy Sanford'''<ref name="starr" /> (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his [[stage name]] '''Redd Foxx''', was an American [[Stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]] and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy [[nightclub act]] before and during the [[civil rights movement]]. Known as the "King of the [[party record|Party Records]]", he performed on [[#Discography|more than 50 records]] in his lifetime. He portrayed [[Fred G. Sanford]] on the television show ''[[Sanford and Son]]''<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Redd Foxx, Cantankerous Master of Bawdy Humor, Is Dead at 68|first=Nick|last=Ravo|date=October 13, 1991|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/13/nyregion/redd-foxx-cantankerous-master-of-bawdy-humor-is-dead-at-68.html}}</ref> and starred in ''[[The Redd Foxx Show]]'' and ''[[The Royal Family (TV series)|The Royal Family]]'', where he played the husband of [[Della Reese]] and grandfather of [[Larenz Tate]]. 

His film projects included ''[[All the Fine Young Cannibals]]'' (1960), ''[[Cotton Comes to Harlem]]'' (1970), ''[[Norman... Is That You?]]'' (1976), and ''[[Harlem Nights]]'' (1989).

In 2004, Foxx ranked 24th in ''[[Comedy Central]] Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time''.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time |url=http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/100greatest/list.jhtml |access-date=September 21, 2016 |series=Comedy Central Presents |network=Comedy Central |date=April 17, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040605175309/http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/100greatest/list.jhtml |archive-date=June 5, 2004}}</ref> Foxx not only influenced many comedians<ref name=NYT/> but was often portrayed in [[popular culture]] as well, mainly as a result of his [[catchphrase]]s, [[body language]] and [[facial expression]]s exhibited on ''Sanford and Son''. During the show's six-year run, Foxx won a [[Golden Globe Award]] and received an additional three nominations, along with three [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nominations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Redd Foxx|url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/redd-foxx|website=GoldenGlobes.org|publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]]|access-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Redd Foxx|url=http://www.emmys.com/bios/redd-foxx|website=Emmys.com|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|access-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref> Foxx was posthumously given a star on the [[St. Louis Walk of Fame]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/?view=achievement|title=St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees|last=St. Louis Walk of Fame|publisher=stlouiswalkoffame.org|access-date=April 25, 2013|archive-date=August 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807211546/http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/?view=achievement|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Early life==
John Elroy Sanford was born on December 9, 1922 in [[St. Louis]], Missouri and raised on [[South Side, Chicago|Chicago's South Side]]. His father, Fred "Freddie" Sanford (1897-1944), was from [[Hickman, Kentucky]], served during [[World War I]] in the 823rd company of [[U.S. Army]] [[Transportation Corps|U.S. Transportation Corps]] and worked as an electrician and an auto mechanic, but left his family sometime after 1930. He was raised by his half-[[Seminole]] mother, Mary Hughes (1903-1993) from [[Ellisville, Mississippi]], his grandmother, and his [[Minister of religion|minister]]. Foxx attended [[DuSable High School]] in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood with future [[Mayor of Chicago|Chicago mayor]] [[Harold Washington]]. Foxx had two older brothers, Fred Jr., and Leonard, who died shortly after his birth in 1921.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7vcX2uNPK4C&q=Redd+Foxx+%22draft%22&pg=PA18 |title=Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story |isbn=9781557838520 |last1=Starr |first1=Michael Seth |date=September 2011 |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema }}</ref> On July 27, 1939, at the age of 16, Foxx performed on the [[Major Bowes Amateur Hour]] radio show as part of the Jump Swinging Six.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

In the 1940s, he befriended Malcolm Little, later known as [[Malcolm X]], a fellow dishwasher at Jimmy's Chicken Shack in Harlem. Both men had reddish hair, so Sanford was called "Chicago Red" after his hometown and Malcolm was known as "Detroit Red".<ref name="NYT" /> In [[The Autobiography of Malcolm X|Malcolm's autobiography]], Foxx is referred to as "the funniest dishwasher on this earth". During [[World War II]], Foxx dodged the [[Selective Training and Service Act of 1940|draft]] by eating half a bar of soap before his physical, a trick that resulted in [[palpitation|heart palpitations]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|title=Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story|last=Starr|first=Michael Seth|publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books|others=hoopla digital.|year=2011|isbn=9781557838520|location=[United States]|oclc=1098560325}}</ref> On September 30, 1946, Foxx recorded five songs for the [[Savoy Records|Savoy label]] under the direction of [[Teddy Reig]].{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

==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}}

== Financial and tax problems ==
According to ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine, "Foxx reportedly once earned $4 million in a single year, but depleted his fortune with a lavish lifestyle, exacerbated by what he called 'very bad management.{{'"}} Contributing to his problems were his divorces. Foxx spent over $150,000 awaiting his divorce from his second wife Betty Jean, which included monthly support payments of $10,000 following their separation in 1974.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=December 5, 1974|title=TV's Redd Foxx Divorce Trial Set For Jan. 6; His Costs Soar To $150,000|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DlsDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+divorce+jet&pg=PA15|journal=Jet|volume= 47| issue =  11|pages=15}}</ref> He also was ordered to pay $2,500 a month while awaiting divorce from third wife Joi after their separation in 1979,<ref name=":4" /> and then paid her a $300,000 divorce settlement in 1981.<ref name=":5" />

In 1983, he filed for bankruptcy with proceedings continuing at least through 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20116272,00.html |title=''People Magazine'', December 18, 1989. |website=People}}</ref> The IRS filed tax liens against Redd Foxx's property for income taxes he owed for the years 1983 to 1986 totaling $755,166.21. On November 28, 1989, the IRS seized his home in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] and seven vehicles (including a 1927 [[Model T]], a 1975 [[Panther J72]],<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Ebony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0dwDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+panther&pg=PA64 |title=Stars and their Foreign Cars |via=Google Books |date=September 1976 |publisher = Johnson Publishing Company}}</ref> a 1983 [[Zimmer (automobile)|Zimmer]], and a [[Vespa]] motor scooter) to pay the taxes which by then had grown to $996,630 {{USDCY|996630|1989}}, including penalties and interest. Agents also seized "$12,769 in cash and a dozen guns, including a semiautomatic pistol," among some 300 items in total, reportedly leaving only Foxx's bed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-29-ca-299-story.html |title=''Los Angeles Times'', November 29, 1989. |website=Los Angeles Times|date=November 29, 1989 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-06-vw-396-story.html |title=''Los Angeles Times'', December 6, 1989. |website=Los Angeles Times|date=December 6, 1989 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1990/05/02/redd-foxx-loses-4-cars-to-irs-auction-block/ |title=Orlando Sentinel May 2, 1990 |website=Orlando Sentinel|date=May 2, 1990 }}</ref>
Foxx stated that the IRS "took my necklace and the ID bracelet off my wrist and the money out of my pocket&nbsp;... I was treated like I wasn't human at all."<ref>[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20116272,00.html ''People Magazine''], December 18, 1989.</ref> It has been reported that at the time of his death in 1991, Foxx owed more than $3.6 million in taxes.<ref name="aolnews.com">[http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/red-foxxs-life-story-is-it-worth-enough-to-settle-his-estates-debt/19383405 Steve Friess, "Trying to Get Foxx's Estate Out of the Redd", AOL News, March 7, 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100520080623/http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/red-foxxs-life-story-is-it-worth-enough-to-settle-his-estates-debt/19383405|date=May 20, 2010}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Foxx was married four times. His first marriage was to Evelyn Killebrew in 1948 and ended in divorce in 1951.{{citation needed|date = January 2023}}

On July 5, 1956,<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|date=December 20, 1980|title=Broken Marriages Bring Foxx Grief And Disgust|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LLcDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+1976+joi&pg=PA16|journal=Jet|volume= 59| issue =  15|pages=16}}</ref> Foxx married Betty Jean Harris, a [[showgirl]] and dancer who was a colleague of [[LaWanda Page]] (later to play Foxx's TV rival [[Aunt Esther]] on ''[[Sanford and Son]]''). They met at a nightclub where they were appearing on the same bill.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Berry|first=William Earl|date=February 22, 1973|title=The Black Woman Behind Redd Foxx|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1LEDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+Jean+Harris&pg=PA56|journal=Jet|volume= 43| issue =  22|pages=56–60}}</ref> As per their agreement, Harris gave up her career in show business to become a full-time housewife.<ref name=":2" /> Foxx adopted Harris's nine-year-old daughter Debraca, who assumed the surname "Foxx." Harris handled most of Foxx's business ventures such as Redd Foxx Enterprises, which included a chain of record stores in Los Angeles.<ref name=":2" /> The couple separated in 1974 due to Foxx's [[infidelity]].<ref name=":0" /> After 18 years of marriage, Foxx filed for divorce on the grounds of incompatibility in May 1974. He also obtained a restraining order that prevented Harris from "removing, hiding or secreting property" from their home in Las Vegas, and she had to return $110,000 that was removed from bank accounts.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=May 23, 1974|title=Foxx Seeks Divorce To End 18-Year Marriage|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZADAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+divorce+jet&pg=PA52|journal=Jet|volume= 46| issue =  9|pages=52}}</ref> Foxx was absent from Debraca's wedding in 1975.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=June 26, 1975|title=Redd Foxx Is Absent From Daughter's Lavish Wedding|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i7EDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+Jean+Harris+1975&pg=PA52|journal=Jet|pages=52}}</ref>

Foxx married his third wife, Joi Yun Chi Chung, at the [[El Rancho Hotel and Casino|Thunderbird Hotel]] in Las Vegas on December 31, 1976.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|date=January 20, 1977|title=Foxx Leaves A Trail Of Jokes After He Marries In Las Vegas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dr8DAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+joi+korea&pg=PA10|journal=Jet|volume= 51| issue =  18|pages=10}}</ref> Foxx met Joi, who was 20 years his junior, when she was a cocktail waitress at the [[Westgate Las Vegas|Las Vegas Hilton]], shortly after her arrival from Korea.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lucas|first=Bob|date=February 3, 1977|title=Redd Foxx At Home With His New Bride|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Er8DAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+1976+joi|journal=Jet|volume= 51| issue = 20|pages=46–49}}</ref> After Foxx filed for divorce in October 1979,<ref>{{Cite journal|date=November 22, 1979|title=She's Asking for $5 Million: Redd Foxx, Wife Joi Sue Each Other For Divorce|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEIDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+divorce+1979&pg=PA54|journal=Jet|volume= 57| issue =  10|pages=54}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|date=August 13, 1981|title=Redd Foxx Must Pay Wife Until Divorce Trial|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TUIDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+divorce+1979&pg=PA53|journal=Jet|volume= 60| issue =  22|pages=53}}</ref> she responded with her own divorce suit charging him with [[cruelty]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|date=October 1, 1981|title=Redd Foxx To Pay Ex-Wife $300,000 After Divorce|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PLYDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+divorce+1981&pg=PA56|journal=Jet|volume= 61| issue =  3|pages=56}}</ref> During their divorce proceedings, Foxx told [[Jet (magazine)|''Jet'']] magazine: "I've been married three times and I'm out." He added: "I'd rather have kids because when I give up all this money on divorce, it should go to the children and not some guy."<ref>{{Cite journal|date=July 24, 1980|title=After Divorce, Redd Foxx Says No More Marriage|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-j0DAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+divorce+jet&pg=PA16|journal=Jet|volume=58|issue=19|pages=16}}</ref> Their divorce was finalized in 1981; Foxx paid a $300,000 divorce settlement.<ref name=":5" />

In July 1991, Foxx wed Kaho Cho from Seoul, South Korea. They met at [[Bally's Las Vegas|Bally's Hotel and Casino]] in Las Vegas.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|date=July 29, 1991|title=Redd Foxx Says: 'I Married Kaho Because She Stood By Me When I Didn't Have A Quarter'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JL0DAAAAMBAJ|journal=Jet|volume= 80| issue =  15|pages=52–55}}</ref> Despite denouncing marriage after his third divorce, Foxx told ''Jet'' magazine that he married Cho because she stuck by him through his trials and tribulations with the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]]. "She saw me with a nickel. And hopefully, she will see me with a dollar. I'll give her seventy-five cents of it," he said.<ref name=":6" /> They were married at [[The Little Church of the West|Little Church of the West]] in Las Vegas followed by a reception at the [[Hacienda (resort)|Hacienda Hotel]].<ref name=":6" />

==Death==
On October 11, 1991, during a break from rehearsals for ''The Royal Family'', Foxx suffered a heart attack on the set.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://onstageandbackstage.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/ill-be-back-the-story-of-redd-foxx/ |title='I'll Be Back': The Story of Redd Foxx |date=December 9, 2011 |work=Onstage & Backstage |access-date=July 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name=Ingram>Ingram, Billy, ''TVparty!: Television's Untold Tales'', Bonus Books, 2002, p. 262. {{ISBN|1-56625-184-2}}</ref> According to Della Reese, Foxx was chatting with a reporter from ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]''. The scene he was supposed to be in was not ready to shoot, and Foxx and Reese were rehearsing. In fact, Foxx had no lines in the scene at all; he was whisked away from the interview by a producer (one who, Reese stated, quarreled with Foxx about how he could teach him to be funny) who insisted on him being there.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theroot.com/throwback-della-reese-remembers-redd-foxx-s-death-and-1790888281 | title=#Throwback: Della Reese Remembers Redd Foxx's Death and How the Royal Family Producer Demeaned Him | date=April 19, 2016 }}</ref>
[[File:Redd Foxx' Las Vegas Tombstone.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Redd Foxx' Las Vegas Headstone 2024]]

Foxx did his scripted part of the scene (walking across the back of a chair) while being livid, then immediately fell to the floor. Reese said that nobody initially suspected that anything was wrong, as Foxx was famous for Fred Sanford's fake heart attacks on ''Sanford and Son'' and was particularly skilled at pratfalls. When he did not immediately rise, Reese went to the floor<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blackdoctor.org/486916/della-reese-describes-redd-foxxs-last-breath-and-what-really-killed-him/|title=Redd Foxx's Death Explained By Della Reese - BlackDoctor|website=blackdoctor.org}}</ref> and heard him say "get my wife" twice.<ref name="jet">{{Cite journal|date=October 28, 1991|title=Foxx Felled By A Heart Attack Taping TV Show; Calls For Wife And Dies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dbkDAAAAMBAJ&q=redd+foxx+ka+ho+1991&pg=PA4 |journal=Jet |volume=81 |issue=2 |pages=5}}</ref> Reese called for paramedics.<ref name="jet" /> According to Joshua Rich at ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'': "It was an end so ironic that for a brief moment castmates figured Foxx–whose 1970s TV character often faked coronaries–was kidding when he grabbed a chair and fell to the floor."<ref name="rich1998">Rich, Joshua (October 9, 1998). [http://www.ew.com/article/1998/10/09/sanford-and-son "Exit Laughing".]  ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.</ref> [[Eddie Murphy]], a producer on the show, credited him with being the most "naturally funny person" he'd known.<ref>{{Citation |title=Eddie Murphy Interview Part 3 😊 😂😅 |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/C3j3-WGk_Fg |access-date=2023-08-30 |language=en}}</ref>

Foxx was temporarily resuscitated and taken to [[Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center|Queen of Angels Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center]]. Four and a half hours after admission, he was pronounced dead.<ref name="jet" />

Redd Foxx is buried at Palm Memorial Park (aka Palm Eastern Cemetery) in Las Vegas, Nevada. <ref name=":7" /> His burial was entirely paid for and handled by longtime friend [[Eddie Murphy]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/01/hollywood-portfolio-2020-eddie-murphy|title='Nobody Laughed': Eddie Murphy on His Harrowing First Audition|publisher=Vanity Fair|date=14 January 2020|access-date=11 July 2024}}</ref>

Redd Foxx's mother, Mary Sanford Carson (1903–1993), outlived her son by two years. She had been lingering in and out of a coma for a few years before her death in 1993. She is buried beside him.<ref name=":7" />

==Influence==
Comedian and actor [[Richard Pryor]] cited Redd Foxx as an influence.<ref>'Pryor Convictions and Other Life Sentences', by Richard Pryor with Todd Gold.</ref> "He gave me inspiration and encouragement so I could be more me," Pryor told ''Ebony'' magazine in 1990.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-12-me-105-story.html|title=Redd Foxx, TV's 'Sanford,' Dies of Heart Attack at 68 : Entertainment: Comedian is stricken while rehearsing new show, 'The Royal Family.'|last1=Merina|first1=Victor|date=October 12, 1991|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=November 11, 2017|last2=Dizon|first2=Lily|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> Comedian [[Chris Rock]] also 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 by retelling the jokes at school.<ref name="movieclips.com">{{cite web |url=http://movieclips.com/SEJQ-harlem-nights-movie-shes-a-sweet-old-woman/ |title=She's a Sweet Old Woman Scene from Harlem Nights Movie (1989) &#124; MOVIECLIPS |access-date=December 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221090540/http://movieclips.com/SEJQ-harlem-nights-movie-shes-a-sweet-old-woman/ |archive-date=December 21, 2014}} Harlum Nights, She's a Sweet Old Woman</ref> Actor and comedian [[Jamie Foxx]] has stated that he chose his professional surname as a tribute to Foxx.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/21681/personmain.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041126201556/http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/21681/personmain.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 26, 2004|title=Jamie Foxx Biography|publisher=MTV|access-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref> [[Pat Morita]] also named Foxx as his mentor from his early days as a nightclub comedian.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=490TsUYe5f4| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211107/490TsUYe5f4| archive-date=2021-11-07 | url-status=live|title=Pat Morita discusses his mentor Redd Foxx| website=[[YouTube]]|access-date=April 11, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07hqWMcLWI8|title=Jimmy Kimmel Live|website= [[YouTube]]|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref>
[[Eddie Murphy]] said that Redd Foxx was the most naturally funny person that he ever encountered.

==Portrayals in popular media==
In 1990, in the pilot episode of ''[[In Living Color]]'', in reference to Foxx's financial troubles, Foxx was portrayed by [[Damon Wayans]], who is making a public service announcement to encourage people to pay their taxes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/in-living-color/episode-1-season-1/pilot/197479|title=In Living Color|website=TV Guide|language=en}}</ref>

In the 1992 [[Seinfeld]] episode "[[The Opera (Seinfeld)|The Opera]]", Jerry chastises George for swearing during a wedding speech, saying "You were like a Redd Foxx record."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://seinfeldism.com/seinfeld-quote.php?id=666|title = - the Opera}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/artist/redd-foxx/162442|title = Redd Foxx on Apple Music}}</ref>

In the 1998 film ''[[Why Do Fools Fall in Love (film)|Why Do Fools Fall in Love]]'', Foxx is portrayed by [[Aries Spears]]. He is shown performing a stand-up comedy routine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bet.com/content/bet/celebrities/photos/2012/08/the-cast-of-why-do-fools-fall-in-love-where-are-they-now.html?cid=facebook|title=The Cast of Why Do Fools Fall in Love: Where Are They Now?|date=August 28, 2012|website=BET.com}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Foxx appears as a minor character in the 2009 [[James Ellroy]] novel ''[[Blood's a Rover]]''. He gives a bawdy eulogy at the wake of Scotty Bennett, a murdered rogue [[LAPD]] detective, including the line: "Scotty Bennett was fucking a porcupine. I gots to tell you motherfuckers that it was a female porcupine, so I don't see nothing perverted in it."<ref name="ellroy">Ellroy, James. ''Blood's A Rover'', Windmill, pg. 597; {{ISBN|978-0-09-953779-3}}</ref>

==Filmography==
*''[[All the Fine Young Cannibals]]'' (1960) as Redd, Piano Player at Rose's (uncredited)
*''[[Cotton Comes to Harlem]]'' (1970) as Uncle Budd / Booker Washington Sims
*''[[Norman... Is That You?]]'' (1976) as Ben Chambers
*''[[Days of Heaven]]'' (1978) as Himself / Special Thanks
*''[[Harlem Nights]]'' (1989) as Bennie Wilson
*''Surely, You Jest'' (2019) as Himself (Posthumously - archive footage)
*''[[Dolemite Is My Name]]'' (2019) as Performer ("On the Loose") (Posthumously - archive footage)

===TV shows===
*''[[Sanford and Son]]'' (1972–77) as Fred G. Sanford 
*''The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' (1974) as Himself
*''The Captain & Tennille Show'' (one episode) (1976) as Himself
*''The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour'' (1977–78) as Himself
*''[[On Location (TV series)|HBO On Location with Redd Foxx]]'' (1978) as Himself
*''[[Sanford (TV series)|Sanford]]'' (1980–81) as Fred G. Sanford
*''Redd Foxx: Video in a Plain Brown Wrapper'' (1983) as Himself
*''Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy'' (TV movie) (1983) as Himself / Special Thanks
*''Viva Shaf Vegas'' (1986) as Himself
*''[[The Redd Foxx Show]]'' (1986) as Al Hughes
*''Motown Merry Christmas'' (1987) as Himself / Various Skits
*''Ghost of a Chance'' (1987) as Ivory Clay
*''[[The Royal Family (TV series)|The Royal Family]]'' (1991) as Alfonso Royal
*''Biography - Redd Foxx: Say It Like It Is'' (January 11, 2000) as Himself (Posthumously - archive footage)
*''E! True Hollywood Story: Redd Foxx'' (2001) as Himself (Posthumously - archive footage)
*''Laugh Mobb Present - Episodes 3 & 4'' (2012) as Himself / Special Thanks (Posthumously - archive footage)
*''Unsung Hollywood - Redd Foxx'' (2015) as Himself (Posthumously - archive footage)
*''[[The History of Comedy|History of Comedy]]'' (TV Series - Season 1, Episode 1) (2017) as Himself (Posthumously - archive footage)
*''[[The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel]]'' (TV series - Season 1, Episode 4; Season 2, Episode 3) (2017–2018) as Himself/Writer (Posthumously - archive footage)

==Discography==

=== Authentic Records ===
*''385 - Song Plugging/The New Soap (78 single)''
*''390 - The Jackasses/The Race Track (78 single)''

=== Savoy Records discography ===

====78 Singles====
*''630A – Let's Wiggle a Little Woogie''
*''630B – Lucky Guy''
*''631A – Fine Jelly Blues''
*''631B – Redd Foxx Blues''
*''645B – Shame on You''

=== Dooto/Dootone Records discography ===

====Albums====
*''DTL01 – The Best Laff''
*''DTL214 – Laff Of The Party Vol. 1'' (1956)
*''DTL219 – Laff Of The Party Vol. 2''
*''DTL220 – Laff Of The Party Vol. 3''
*''DTL227 – Laff Of The Party Vol. 4'' (1956)
*''DTL234 – The Best Of Redd Foxx Vol. 1''
*''DTL236 – Laff Of The Party Vol.7''
*''DTL249 – Burlesque Humor''
*''DTL253 – The Side Splitter Vol.1'' (1959)
*''DTL265 – The Laff of the Party Vol. 8'' (1957)
*''DTL270 – The Side Splitter Vol. 2'' (1959)
*''DTL274 – The Best of Party Fun (Red Foxx and Others)''
*''DTL275 – Racy Tales'' (Also released as ''The New Race Track'') (1959)
*''DTL290 – Redd Foxx Funn''
*''DTL295 – Sly Sex'' (1960)
*''DTL298 – Have One On Me'' (1960)
*''DTL801 – Laffarama'' (1961)
*''DTL804 – Wild Party'' (1961)
*''DTL809 – This is Foxx''
*''DTL815 – He's Funny That Way'' (1964)
*''DTL820 – Red Foxx at Jazzville U.S.A.'' (1961)
*''DTL830 – The New Fugg'' (1962)
*''DTL828&nbsp;– Hearty Party Laffs'' (1962)
*''DTL832 – Laff Along With Foxx'' (1962) (compilation)
*''DTL834&nbsp;– Crack Up'' (1963)
*''DTL835&nbsp;– Funny Stuff'' (1963)
*''DTL836 - The Battle of Sex'' (with Hattie Noel)
*''DTL838 - Naughties But Goodies'' (1965)
*''DTL840&nbsp;– Adults Only'' (1967)
*''DTL845&nbsp;– Jokes I Can't Tell On Television'' (1969)
*''DTL846&nbsp;– Shed House Humor'' (1969)
*''DTL853&nbsp;– Sanford & Foxx'' (1972)
*''DTL854&nbsp;– Foxx and Jazz''
*''DTL858&nbsp;– Dirty Redd'' (1973)
*''DTL860&nbsp;– Funky Tales From a Dirty Old Junkman'' (1972)

====Singles====
*''DTL385 – The New Soap/Song Plugging''
*''DTL390 – The Jackasses/The Race Track''
*''DTL397 – The Honeymooners/The Sneezes''
*''DTL402 – Beans And Pineapple Sauce/The Army''
*''DTL408 – The Two Oars/The Preacher's Bicycle''
*''DTL411 – The Dead Jackass/Women Over Forty''
*''DTL416 – Real Pretty Baby/It's Fun To Be Living In The Crazy House''
*''DTL418 – Best Of Redd Foxx Parts 1&2''
*''DTL421 – The House/Sex And Orange Juice''
*''DTL426 – Hollywood Playboy/The Dogs Meeting''
*''DTL436 – South Of The Border/The Plastic Surgeon''
*''DTL453 – The Dear John Letter/Honesty Is The Best Policy''
*''DTL455 – The Shoe Shine Boy/The Royal Thighs And Others''
*''DTL458 – 118 Ways To Make Love/Pregnancy Co-Operation''
*''DTL460 – No Teeth/With My Teeth/The Best Years/Deep Sea Diver''
*''DTL464 – Christmas Hard Ties/Jaw Resting''

===Atlantic Records discography===
*''SD 18157 – You Gotta Wash Your Ass'' (1975)

=== Loose Cannon/Island Records discography ===

*''528 061 – Uncensored'' (1995)

===Gusto Records discography===
*''KSD-1072 – Bare Facts''

===King Records discography===
*''KSD-1073 – Pass the Apple Eve''
*''KSD-1074 – In a Nutshell''
*''KS-1135 – Matinee Idol''
*''SK-754 – X-Rated v. 4''
*''SK-756 – X-Rated v. 6''
*''K-13385 - Redd Foxx Part One/Part Two''

===Laff Records discography===
*''A170&nbsp;– Pryor Goes Foxx Hunting'' (split LP including one half of [[Richard Pryor]]'s "Craps")
*''A175 - Red & White!! (with Slappy White)''
*''A184 - Down N' Dirty (with Richard Pryor)''
*''A197 - Comedy Roots (with Richard & Willie)''
*''A203&nbsp;– I Ain't Lied Yet''
*''A210 - Uncensored (1980)''
*''A228 - Everything's Big''

===Loma/Warner Bros. Records discography===
*''5901&nbsp;– Both Sides of Redd Foxx'' (1966)
*''5905&nbsp;– On the Loose''
*''5906&nbsp;– Redd Foxx "live" : Las Vegas!'' (1968)
*''5908&nbsp;– Foxx-A-Delic'' (1968)

=== MF Records discography ===
*''RF1 – Laff Your Head off''
*''RF2 – Laff Your Ass Off''
*''RF3 – Redd Foxx At Home''
*''RF4 – A Whole Lot of Soul''
*''RF5 – At His Best''
*''RF6 – Doin' His Own Thing''
*''RF7 – Say It Like It Is''
*''RF8 – Is Sex Here To Stay''
*''RF9 – Where It's At''
*''RF10 – Huffin' And A Puffin'''
*''RF11 – I Am Curious, Black''
*''RF12 – Three Or Four Times A Day''
*''RF13 – Mr. Hot Pants''
*''RF14 – Hot Flashes''
*''RF15 – Restricted''
*''RF16 – Superstar''
*''RF17 – Spice can Be Nice!''
*''RF18 – Strictly For Adults''
*''RF19 – Black and Blue''
*''RF20 – Elizabeth, I'm Coming!''
*''RF21 – Redd 75''
*''MF102 - The Very Best of Redd Foxx''

=== Reddy Freddy Records ===
*''RF01 - Foxx Live 85 (1985)''

=== Master Classics Records discography ===

====Albums====
*''Gettin' Down N' Dirty'' (2008)

=== Comedy Classics discography ===

====Albums====
*''The Ultimate Comedy Collection'' (2011)

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
*{{IMDb name|289359}}
*[http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=13030/hb938nb688 Image of Redd Foxx and his wife, 1973.] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, [[Charles E. Young Research Library]], [[University of California, Los Angeles]].

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Redd Foxx
|list =
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actor TV Comedy}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

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