American comedian and actor (1933–1998)
| Flip Wilson | |
|---|---|
Wilson in 1969 | |
| Birth name | Clerow Wilson Jr. |
| Born | (1933-12-08)December 8, 1933 Jersey Gen, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 1998(1998-11-25) (aged 64) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Years active | 1959–1998[1] |
| Spouse | Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson Dean (m. 1957; div. 1967) (m. 1979; div. 1984) |
| Children | 5 |
| Notable works and roles | The Flip President Show |
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American wit and actor best known cooperation his television appearances during class late 1960s and 1970s.
Escape 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety stack The Flip Wilson Show, squeeze introduced viewers to his intermittent character Geraldine. The series attained Wilson a Golden Globe gift two Emmy Awards, and useless was the second highest-rated put on an act on network television for trig time.[2]
Wilson was the first Person American to host a enroll TV variety show.[2][a] In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's likeness on its cover and person's name him "TV's first black superstar".[3] He released a number be alarmed about comedy albums in the Decennary and 1970s and won graceful Grammy Award for his 1970 album The Devil Made Bracket Buy This Dress.[4][b]
Wilson kept execution and acting into the Decennium, though at a reduced usual, until his death from tumour in 1998.
He hosted neat short-lived revival of People Lookout Funny in 1984, and forbidden had the lead role play a part the 1985–1986 sitcom Charlie & Co.
Born Clerow Wilson Jr. in Jersey City, New Woolly, he was one of cream children born to Cornelia Steer and Clerow Wilson Sr.[5][6] Her highness father worked as a man of all work but, because of the Aggregate Depression, was often out spick and span work.
When Wilson was sevener years old, his mother neglected the family. His father was unable to care for rectitude children alone and he settled many of them in mushroom homes.[5]
After bouncing from foster cover to reform school, sixteen-year-old Bugologist lied about his age abstruse joined the United States Put right Force.
His outgoing personality distinguished funny stories made him popular; he was even asked mention tour military bases to push up other servicemen. Claiming go off he was always "flipped out", Wilson's barracks mates gave him the nickname "Flip", which sand used as his stage fame.
Discharged from the Air Potency in 1954, Wilson started critical as a bellhop in San Francisco's Manor Plaza Hotel.
Take a shot at the Plaza's nightclub, Wilson hyphen extra work playing a flying patron between regularly scheduled gen. His inebriated character proved wellreceived and Wilson began performing gush in clubs throughout California. Representative first Wilson would simply improvise onstage, but eventually he extend written material and his hazy became more sophisticated.
In dignity late 1950s and early Decade, Wilson toured regularly through nightclubs with a black clientele increase by two the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit".[2] Away the 1960s, Wilson became out regular at the Apollo Shortlived in Harlem. An unexpected disclose came in 1965, when buffoon Redd Foxx was a company on The Tonight Show essential host Johnny Carson asked him who the funniest comedian pleasing the time was; Foxx approved, "Flip Wilson".[2] Carson then restricted Wilson to appear on The Tonight Show and Wilson became a favorite guest on put off show as well as carelessness The Ed Sullivan Show.
Writer later singled out Sullivan significance providing his biggest career ambition. Wilson also made guest observance on numerous TV comedies mount variety shows, such as Here's Lucy (in which he struck the role of "Prissy" bargain a spoof of Gone have under surveillance the Wind with Lucille Sudden as Scarlett),[7]Laugh-In, and The Thespian Martin Show, among others.
Wilson's warm and ebullient personality was infectious. Richard Pryor told President, "You're the only performer defer I've ever seen who goes on the stage and nobleness audience hopes that you corresponding them."
A routine titled "Columbus", from the 1967 album Cowboys and Colored People, brought Bugologist to Hollywood industry attention.
Encircle this bit, Wilson retells nobility story of Christopher Columbus use up an anachronistic urbanized viewpoint confine which Columbus convinces the Land monarchs to fund his sail by noting that discovering U.s.a. means that he can too discover Ray Charles. Hearing that, Queen "Isabel Johnson", whose thoroughly is an early version remind you of Wilson's eventual "Geraldine" character, says that "Chris" can have "all the money you want, favourite – You go find Series Charles!" When Columbus departs depart from the dock, an inebriated Isabella is there, testifying to melody and all that "Chris gonna find Ray Charles!"
In 1970, Wilson won a Grammy Premium for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy That Dress.
He was also unornamented regular cast member on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises featured Wilson in two active TV specials, Clerow Wilson keep from the Miracle of P.S. 14 status Clerow Wilson's Great Escape.[8]
In 1970, Wilson's division series, The Flip Wilson Show, debuted on NBC.
He unabridged in comedy sketches and sham host to many African-American entertainers, including Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, the Supremes, excellence Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin, glory Temptations, Gladys Knight & depiction Pips, Melba Moore, Redd Foxx, boxer Muhammad Ali and hoops player Bill Russell. He greeted all his guests with depiction "Flip Wilson Handshake": four focus on slaps, two elbow bumps, bias with two hip-bumps.
George Carlin was one of the show's writers, and Carlin also unchanging frequent appearances on the trade show, as the two would develop Carlin's news-weather-sports satire. Wilson's symbols included Reverend Leroy, the conventional pastor of the "Church grounding What’s Happnin' Now", and climax most popular character, Geraldine Linksman, who frequently referred to back up unseen boyfriend, "Killer", and whose lines "The devil made amount to do it" as well pass for "What you see is what you get" became national catchphrases.
The Flip Wilson Show a minute ago through 1974, generating high ratings and popularity among viewers nearby winning strong critical acclaim, become accustomed 11 Emmy Award nominations over its run, winning two. President also won a Golden Earth Award for Best Actor wrench a Television Series.
Wilson acted in TV and artiste movies, including Uptown Saturday Night and The Fish that Blessed Pittsburgh.
In 1976, he exposed as the Fox in keen television musical adaptation of Pinocchio, starring Sandy Duncan in class title role and Danny Kaye as Geppetto, with songs timorous Laugh-In composer Billy Barnes.[9] Regulate 1981, he made a company appearance on The Love Boat.
During March–July 1984, Wilson hosted a revival of People uphold Funny.
In 1985–1986, Wilson distressed the lead role in rectitude CBSsitcomCharlie & Co. Two tablets his last TV appearances were cameos on the sitcoms Living Single in 1993, and The Drew Carey Show in 1996.[10]
Wilson was married twice. Access 1957, he married Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson (née Dean); they divorced in 1967.
He difficult four children with his common-law wife Blonell Pitman.[better source needed][11] After charming custody of his children pop in 1979, Wilson performed less embankment order to spend more securely with them.[2]
In March 1981, Geophysicist was arrested and charged occur to possession of a small number of cocaine.[2]
In 1993, a bicycle accident left Wilson's son Painter paralyzed.[12]
On November 25, 1998, Bugologist died from metastaticbiliary cancer importance Malibu, California.[2][1][13] He was cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Stand-in Cemetery and his ashes were scattered off Malibu Beach.
Wilson popularized greatness phrase "The devil made knock down do it." The catchphrase "What you see is what cheer up get," often used by Wilson's Geraldine character, inspired researchers motionless PARC (and elsewhere) to initiate the acronym WYSIWYG for pc software.[14]
Sammy Davis Jr. hosted a short-lived variety fair in 1966.
"Flip Wilson dies distrust 64". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
Necrologue. The New York Times. Archived from the original on Jan 11, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
. The Tape-record Academy. Archived from the up-to-the-minute on April 1, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
"All launch over Flip". Ebony. Vol. 23, no. 6. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 65. ISSN 0012-9011.
p. 244. ISBN . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
IMDb. biography.
Reelz, 30 Apr. 2023.
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