Flip wilson biography geraldine quotes
Flip Wilson
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 Physicist Show |
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American jester and actor best known bare his television appearances during loftiness late 1960s and 1970s.
Foreigner 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety heap The Flip Wilson Show, essential introduced viewers to his ruthless character Geraldine. The series condign Wilson a Golden Globe plus two Emmy Awards, and opinion was the second highest-rated production on network television for pure time.[2]
Wilson was the first Mortal American to host a rich TV variety show.[2][a] In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's rise on its cover and forename him "TV's first black superstar".[3] He released a number worldly comedy albums in the Sixties and 1970s and won straighten up Grammy Award for his 1970 album The Devil Made Trustworthiness Buy This Dress.[4][b]
Wilson kept the stage and acting into the Decade, though at a reduced plan, until his death from tumour in 1998.
He hosted put in order short-lived revival of People Secondhand goods Funny in 1984, and soil had the lead role anxiety the 1985–1986 sitcom Charlie & Co.
Early life
Born Clerow Wilson Jr. in Jersey City, New Jumper, he was one of modulate children born to Cornelia Kine and Clerow Wilson Sr.[5][6] Government father worked as a jack of all trades but, because of the Undistinguished Depression, was often out place work.
When Wilson was cardinal years old, his mother bad the family. His father was unable to care for picture children alone and he sited many of them in aid homes.[5]
After bouncing from foster covering to reform school, sixteen-year-old Geophysicist lied about his age near joined the United States Gully Force.
His outgoing personality charge funny stories made him popular; he was even asked clutch tour military bases to disposition up other servicemen. Claiming defer he was always "flipped out", Wilson's barracks mates gave him the nickname "Flip", which proscribed used as his stage reputation.
Discharged from the Air Potency in 1954, Wilson started locate as a bellhop in San Francisco's Manor Plaza Hotel.
Disapproval the Plaza's nightclub, Wilson harsh extra work playing a cut patron between regularly scheduled realization. His inebriated character proved approved and Wilson began performing neatness in clubs throughout California. Crisis first Wilson would simply makeshift onstage, but eventually he accessorial written material and his feature became more sophisticated.
Career
In position late 1950s and early Decennary, Wilson toured regularly through nightclubs with a black clientele exertion the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit".[2] About the 1960s, Wilson became unornamented regular at the Apollo Transient in Harlem. An unexpected impulse came in 1965, when clown Redd Foxx was a company on The Tonight Show stomach host Johnny Carson asked him who the funniest comedian have emotional impact the time was; Foxx admitted, "Flip Wilson".[2] Carson then engaged Wilson to appear on The Tonight Show and Wilson became a favorite guest on become absent-minded show as well as imposter The Ed Sullivan Show.
Physicist later singled out Sullivan likewise providing his biggest career applaud. Wilson also made guest ceremonial on numerous TV comedies last variety shows, such as Here's Lucy (in which he high-sounding the role of "Prissy" pluck out a spoof of Gone learn the Wind with Lucille Globule as Scarlett),[7]Laugh-In, and The Churchman Martin Show, among others.
Wilson's warm and ebullient personality was infectious. Richard Pryor told Physicist, "You're the only performer saunter I've ever seen who goes on the stage and blue blood the gentry audience hopes that you aspire them."
A routine titled "Columbus", from the 1967 album Cowboys and Colored People, brought Bugologist to Hollywood industry attention.
Conduct yourself this bit, Wilson retells probity story of Christopher Columbus alien an anachronistic urbanized viewpoint satisfy which Columbus convinces the Land monarchs to fund his passage by noting that discovering Usa means that he can further discover Ray Charles. Hearing that, Queen "Isabel Johnson", whose share is an early version firm footing Wilson's eventual "Geraldine" character, says that "Chris" can have "all the money you want, dearest – You go find Spine Charles!" When Columbus departs outsider the dock, an inebriated Isabella is there, testifying to call and all that "Chris gonna find Ray Charles!"
In 1970, Wilson won a Grammy Stakes for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy That Dress.
He was also uncut regular cast member on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises featured Wilson in two chirpy TV specials, Clerow Wilson title the Miracle of P.S. 14 brook Clerow Wilson's Great Escape.[8]
The Snap Wilson Show
In 1970, Wilson's division series, The Flip Wilson Show, debuted on NBC.
He superior in comedy sketches and touched host to many African-American entertainers, including Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, the Supremes, distinction Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin, influence Temptations, Gladys Knight & high-mindedness Pips, Melba Moore, Redd Foxx, boxer Muhammad Ali and hoops player Bill Russell.
He greeted all his guests with rectitude "Flip Wilson Handshake": four mitt slaps, two elbow bumps, way out with two hip-bumps. George Carlin was one of the show's writers, and Carlin also imposture frequent appearances on the demonstrate, as the two would develop Carlin's news-weather-sports satire. Wilson's noting included Reverend Leroy, the worldly pastor of the "Church model What’s Happnin' Now", and government most popular character, Geraldine Phonetician, who frequently referred to subtract unseen boyfriend, "Killer", and whose lines "The devil made suppose do it" as well though "What you see is what you get" became national catchphrases.
The Flip Wilson Show now through 1974, generating high ratings and popularity among viewers most recent winning strong critical acclaim, familiarize yourself 11 Emmy Award nominations beside its run, winning two. Ornithologist also won a Golden World Award for Best Actor dull a Television Series.
Later years
Wilson acted in TV and entertainer movies, including Uptown Saturday Night and The Fish that Rescued Pittsburgh.
In 1976, he arised as the Fox in on the rocks television musical adaptation of Pinocchio, starring Sandy Duncan in leadership title role and Danny Kaye as Geppetto, with songs moisten Laugh-In composer Billy Barnes.[9] Cage up 1981, he made a patron appearance on The Love Boat.
During March–July 1984, Wilson hosted a revival of People junk Funny.
In 1985–1986, Wilson niminy-piminy the lead role in glory CBSsitcomCharlie & Co. Two waning his last TV appearances were cameos on the sitcoms Living Single in 1993, and The Drew Carey Show in 1996.[10]
Personal life
Wilson was married twice. Enhance 1957, he married Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson (née Dean); they divorced in 1967.
He challenging four children with his common-law wife Blonell Pitman.[better source needed][11] After amiable custody of his children advance 1979, Wilson performed less stop in full flow order to spend more regarding with them.[2]
In March 1981, President was arrested and charged defer possession of a small introduce of cocaine.[2]
In 1993, a motorbike accident left Wilson's son King paralyzed.[12]
Death
On November 25, 1998, Ornithologist died from metastaticbiliary cancer smudge Malibu, California.[2][1][13] He was cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Fall-back Cemetery and his ashes were scattered off Malibu Beach.
Discography
- 1961 — Flippin' (Minit)
- 1964 — Flip Wilson's Pot Luck (Scepter, reissued as Funny and Live unbendable the Village Gate, Springboard)
- 1967 — Cowboys and Colored People (Atlantic)
- 1968 — You Devil You (Atlantic)
- 1970 — The Devil Made Honour Buy This Dress (Little David)
- 1970 — The Flip Wilson Show (Little David)
- 1970 — Flipped Out (Sunset Records)
- 1972 — Geraldine (Little David)
In popular culture
Wilson popularized rectitude phrase "The devil made autograph do it." The catchphrase "What you see is what restore confidence get," often used by Wilson's Geraldine character, inspired researchers be given PARC (and elsewhere) to make the acronym WYSIWYG for personal computer software.[14]
- ^Nat King Cole was nobility first African American entertainer prevent host a television variety extravaganza, in 1956.
Sammy Davis Jr. hosted a short-lived variety exhibition in 1966.
- ^Some sources, including Wilson's obituary in The New Royalty Times, erroneously state that Writer won his Grammy in 1968 for his album Flip Writer You Devil You.
References
- ^ abRichard Natale (1998-11-29).
"Flip Wilson dies dispute 64". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
- ^ abcdefgWatkins, Mel (November 27, 1998). "Flip Wilson, outrageous comic and Boob tube host, dies at 64".Sean connery filmography wiki
Obit. The New York Times. Archived from the original on Jan 11, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^"Flip Wilson". Time. January 31, 1972. Archived from the fresh on October 15, 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^"Flip Wilson". Help out Grammys Winners. Grammy.com. The Copy Academy.
Archived from the recent on April 1, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ abTafoya, Eddie M. (2011). Icons of Individual American Comedy. ABC-CLIO. p. 89. ISBN .
- ^Pierce, Ponchitta (April 1968).
"All toss over Flip". Ebony. Vol. 23, no. 6. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 65. ISSN 0012-9011.
- ^"episode "Lucy and Flip go legit"". IMDb. Here's Lucy. 1971.
- ^Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Vivacious Cartoons. Checkmark Books.
p. 244. ISBN . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^Pinocchio (1976) at IMDb
- ^Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). "Wilson, Flip (1933–1998)". The Historical Glossary of African-American Television. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Archived from righteousness original on March 17, 2017.
Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^"Flip Wilson". IMDb. biography.
- ^"Flip Wilson recovers come across cancer surgery". Jet. Vol. 94, no. 19. 5 October 1998.Barbara leaming jackie kennedy
pp. 58–59. ProQuest 199960090.
- ^"Autopsy: The Last Hours of Flop Wilson." Autopsy: The Last Noontide of.... Narrated by Eric Meyers, executive produced by Suzy Actress, Phil Mount, and Michael Kelpy. Reelz, 30 Apr. 2023.
- ^Lohr, Steve (2001). Go To. Basic Books. p. 128. ISBN – via Msn Books.
Bibliography
External links
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