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1 | He was known to be a very social butterfly. |
2 | Appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show (1989) on October 9, 1991, just two days before his death. |
3 | In a T.V. Guide interview, Sanford explained that many black people, including himself, who had white ancestors frequently had a reddish tint to their hair and skin. Hence his nickname Redd. |
4 | Longtime best friend of Della Reese and LaWanda Page. |
5 | Began his show Sanford and Son (1972) at age 49. |
6 | Appeared on the front cover of TV Guide 5 times. |
7 | Was the third television father to have died after Danny Thomas and Michael Landon in the same year, 1991. |
8 | Good friends with: Della Reese, LaWanda Page, Carroll O'Connor, Norman Lear, Saul Turteltaub, Leroy Daniels, Pat Morita, Nathaniel Taylor, Nancy Kulp, Raymond Allen, Whitman Mayo, Hal Williams, Helen Martin, Eddie Murphy, Slappy White, Don Bexley, Gregory Sierra, Noam Pitlik and Allan Drake. |
9 | Acting mentor and friend of Demond Wilson. |
10 | Best remembered by the public for his starring role as Fred G. Sanford on Sanford and Son (1972). |
11 | Foxx turned down a role in The Great White Hope (1970), which was inspired by the career and struggles against racism of former heavyweight champ Jack Johnson. Foxx knew Johnson and refused the role as he believed the play (which won the Pulitzer Prize) had white-washed his old friend. |
12 | His stage name came from his childhood nickname "Red" which referred to his reddish hair and skin. He took the name "Foxx" as a tribute to Chicago Cubs player Jimmie Foxx and as a reference to the red fox. |
13 | He was nicknamed "Zorro" which is Spanish for "fox". |
14 | Huge fan of the "Little Rascals" and worked frequently with Tommy Bond who played the bully "Butch". Foxx often wore a "Butch" style golf cap in many of his shows because of this. |
15 | Briefly attended Du Sable High School in Chicago with future Mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington. |
16 | On Sanford and Son (1972) one of the main characteristics of his character Fred Sanford was the he had a weak heart and that he always knew that the day for "The Big One" would eventually come. It was a trademark of the show that he would fake a heart attack in the face of some shocking news. In one of the bitterest ironies when Redd Foxx finally did experience the "The Big One," it was a heart attack and those around him thought he was just joking around and didn't seek immediate help. |
17 | Fred Sanford, Foxx's character on Sanford and Son (1972), was ranked #42 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue]. |
18 | Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 165-167. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 |
19 | One of his greatest assets (and perhaps, weaknesses) was his generosity to others. His most famous character, Fred Sanford, was named in honor of his brother, and many of the actors and character names on the television series Sanford and Son (1972) were people who inspired him thoughout his life. |
20 | Had no biological children, but when he married Betty Jean Harris, he adopted her daughter, Debraca Denise. |
21 | Was expelled from one school on the first day for throwing a book at a teacher. |
22 | Due to Foxx's financial woes (the IRS seized and auctioned off his assets in 1989), his widow couldn't pay for his funeral, so Eddie Murphy footed the bill, giving Foxx a lavish, star-studded send-off. |
23 | During his early life as a dishwasher, he was called "Chicago Red" to distinguish him from his friend "Detroit Red". "Detroit Red" would later become famous as the political activist-social critic and Black nationalist known as Malcolm X. |
24 | Appeared on Flip (1970) on January 13th, 1972, the night before the classic Sanford and Son (1972) debuted. The two shows were on the same network: NBC. |
25 | One of the few performers to have the lead role in a television show on the three main networks. He was the lead in Sanford and Son, on NBC, the Royal Family, on CBS, and in the Redd Foxx show, and the Redd Foxx Comedy Hour on ABC. |
26 | Was the only artist to be invited to Elvis Presley's wedding at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, on May 1, 1967. |
27 | Interred at Palm Memorial Gardens, Las Vegas, Nevada, in the Devotion Section, Lawn Space 4091, 311 G. |
28 | Was one-quarter Seminole Indian. |
29 | Died of heart attack on the set of The Royal Family (1991). |
30 | Comedian. |
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