Photo: Coast Artists Inc. (management); photographer: John E. Reed, Hollywood. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Redd Foxx is one of those figures I think the comedy world underrates today. Born John Elroy Sanford in St. Louis, he built a raunchy nightclub act during the civil rights era and earned the title King of the Party Records across more than fifty albums, which is a staggering body of underground work. Then he crossed into the living room with Sanford and Son and won a 1973 Golden Globe. What strikes me is the sheer nerve of dragging that uncut energy onto network television and making it land. He cleared a path through laughter, and modern comedians owe him more than they admit.
Overview
John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American 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 Records", he performed on more than 50 records in his lifetime. He portrayed Fred G.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Redd Foxx
- Name (Japanese)
- レッド・フォックス
- Reading
- れっど・ふぉっくす
- Born
- December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Dog
- Origin
- St. Louis, Missouri, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 70 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- television actor / actor / comedian
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- DuSable High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1973 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Sanford and Son | — | |
| Notable work | Sanford | — |
6. Links
Television actor — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.