REDD FOXX
JOHN ELROY SANFORD
December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991
John Elroy Sanford was born into poverty in St. Louis, Missouri on December 9, 1922 to Mary Hughes and Fred Sanford. His parents separated when he was around four years old. He relocated to Chicago where both his mother and grandmother and raised on Chicago’s South Side. He attended DuSable High. He had an older brother, Fred G. Sanford Jr..
On July 27, 1939, Elroy performed on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio show as part of the Jump Swinging Six.
He began doing stand-up comedy on the infamous “Chitlin’ Circuit” in the 1940s and 1950s. In New York he was known for his raunchy acts. During that time that is when he Malcolm little, later known as Malcolm X. In Malcolm’s autobiography, Elroy is referred to as “Chicago Red, the funniest dishwasher on this earth.” He earned the nickname because of his reddish hair and complexion.
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At the time of his death, Foxx was married to Ka Ho Cho.
In the last years of his life he had tax problems with the IRS which seize his home and assets in Las Vegas where he resided. With this new sitcom his career was up again and the problems with the IRS would be resolved but on October 11, 1991, during a break from rehearsals for The Royal Family, he suffered a heart attack on the set. Foxx was taken to Queen of Angels Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Where he died that evening at the age of 68.
Foxx was posthumously given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame on May 17, 1992.
Foxx is buried in Las Vegas, at Palm Valley View Memorial Park. His mother, Mary Carson (1899–1993), outlived Foxx and died nearly 17 months later, in 1993. She is buried next to her son.
With his passing a huge void is in the African-American genuine creative comic entertainment world.
In total Red Foxx stared in four featured films
All the Fine Young Cannibals 1960
Cotton Comes to Harlem 1970
Norman is that you? 1976
Harlem Nights 1989
Television work he accomplished
Sanford and Son 1972- 1977
The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour 1977-1978
Sanford 1980-1981
Viva Shaf Vegas 1986
Ghost of a Chance 1987
The Royal Family 1991
33 Albums
Over 78 Singles