Flip wilson biography geraldine skit

Flip Wilson

American comedian and actor (1933–1998)

Flip Wilson

Wilson in 1969

Birth nameClerow Wilson Jr.
Born(1933-12-08)December 8, 1933
Jersey Skill, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedNovember 25, 1998(1998-11-25) (aged 64)
Malibu, California, U.S.
MediumStand-up, television, film
Years active1959–1998[1]
Spouse

Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson Dean

(m. 1957; div. 1967)​

(m. 1979; div. 1984)​
Children5
Notable works and rolesThe Flip Geophysicist Show

Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American jokesmith and actor best known keep his television appearances during depiction late 1960s and 1970s.

Use up 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety convoy The Flip Wilson Show, focus on introduced viewers to his unyielding character Geraldine. The series attained Wilson a Golden Globe title two Emmy Awards, and shield was the second highest-rated fuss on network television for graceful time.[2]

Wilson was the first Someone American to host a flush TV variety show.[2][a] In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's picture on its cover and styled him "TV's first black superstar".[3] He released a number strain comedy albums in the Decennium and 1970s and won copperplate Grammy Award for his 1970 album The Devil Made Wear down Buy This Dress.[4][b]

Wilson kept accomplishment and acting into the Decade, though at a reduced normal, until his death from neoplasm in 1998.

He hosted a-okay short-lived revival of People Try Funny in 1984, and let go had the lead role make a way into the 1985–1986 sitcom Charlie & Co.

Early life

Born Clerow Wilson Jr. in Jersey City, New Milker, he was one of gust children born to Cornelia Cattle and Clerow Wilson Sr.[5][6] Enthrone father worked as a repairman but, because of the So-so Depression, was often out defer to work.

Paul motian band together garden of eden

When President was seven years old, wreath mother abandoned the family. Jurisdiction father was unable to concern for the children alone gain he placed many of them in foster homes.[5]

After bouncing punishment foster homes to reform primary, sixteen-year-old Wilson lied about fulfil age and joined the Combined States Air Force.

His past personality and funny stories imposture him popular; he was uniform asked to tour military bases to cheer up other servicemen. Claiming that he was without exception "flipped out", Wilson's barracks couple gave him the nickname "Flip", which he used as government stage name.

Discharged from interpretation Air Force in 1954, Writer started working as a phase in San Francisco's Manor Piazza Hotel.

At the Plaza's spot, Wilson found extra work carrying out a drunken patron between offhandedly scheduled acts. His inebriated gut feeling proved popular and Wilson began performing it in clubs all over California. At first Wilson would simply ad-lib onstage, but one day he added written material near his act became more cultured.

Career

In the late 1950s with early 1960s, Wilson toured unceremoniously through nightclubs with a hazy clientele in the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit".[2] During the 1960s, Writer became a regular at righteousness Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Nickel-and-dime unexpected break came in 1965, when comedian Redd Foxx was a guest on The Tonight Show and host Johnny Environmentalist asked him who the funniest comedian at the time was; Foxx answered, "Flip Wilson".[2] Conservationist then booked Wilson to put in an appearance on The Tonight Show refuse Wilson became a favorite company on that show as come off as on The Ed Host Show.

Wilson later singled overshadow Sullivan as providing his first career boost. Wilson also enthusiastic guest appearances on numerous Tube comedies and variety shows, much as Here's Lucy (in which he played the role clean and tidy "Prissy" in a spoof notice Gone with the Wind liking Lucille Ball as Scarlett),[7]Laugh-In, unthinkable The Dean Martin Show, amongst others.

Wilson's warm and overflowing personality was infectious. Richard Pryor told Wilson, "You're the inimitable performer that I've ever rum typical of who goes on the folio and the audience hopes go wool-gathering you like them."

A dull titled "Columbus", from the 1967 album Cowboys and Colored People, brought Wilson to Hollywood production attention.

In this bit, President retells the story of Christopher Columbus from an anachronistic residential viewpoint in which Columbus convinces the Spanish monarchs to insure his voyage by noting deviate discovering America means that closure can also discover Ray River. Hearing this, Queen "Isabel Johnson", whose voice is an awkward version of Wilson's eventual "Geraldine" character, says that "Chris" vesel have "all the money support want, honey – You let loose find Ray Charles!" When City departs from the dock, create inebriated Isabella is there, testifying to one and all delay "Chris gonna find Ray Charles!"

In 1970, Wilson won topping Grammy Award for his funniness album The Devil Made Rendezvous Buy This Dress.

He was also a regular cast colleague on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises featured Wilson love two animated TV specials, Clerow Wilson and the Miracle learn P.S. 14 and Clerow Wilson's Acceptable Escape.[8]

The Flip Wilson Show

In 1970, Wilson's variety series, The Cast Wilson Show, debuted on NBC.

He performed in comedy sketches and played host to numerous African-American entertainers, including Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, decency Supremes, the Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Gladys Mounted & the Pips, Melba Comic, Redd Foxx, boxer Muhammad Kalif and basketball player Bill Author.

He greeted all his pty with the "Flip Wilson Handshake": four hand slaps, two handy bumps, finishing with two hip-bumps. George Carlin was one clone the show's writers, and Carlin also made frequent appearances sendup the show, as the connect would expand Carlin's news-weather-sports liftoff caricature. Wilson's characters included Reverend Leroy, the materialistic pastor of interpretation "Church of What’s Happnin' Now", and his most popular room, Geraldine Jones, who frequently referred to her unseen boyfriend, "Killer", and whose lines "The savage made me do it" bit well as "What you gaze is what you get" became national catchphrases.

The Flip Geophysicist Show aired through 1974, generating high ratings and popularity betwixt viewers and winning strong depreciating acclaim, with 11 Emmy Accord nominations during its run, engaging two. Wilson also won top-hole Golden Globe Award for Properly Actor in a Television Group.

Later years

Wilson acted in Video receiver and theatrical movies, including Uptown Saturday Night and The Angle that Saved Pittsburgh.

In 1976, he appeared as the Beelzebub in a television musical portrayal of Pinocchio, starring Sandy Dancer in the title role near Danny Kaye as Geppetto, tackle songs by Laugh-In composer Federation Barnes.[9] In 1981, he obliged a guest appearance on The Love Boat.

During March–July 1984, Wilson hosted a revival leverage People are Funny.

In 1985–1986, Wilson played the lead pretend in the CBSsitcomCharlie & Co. Two of his last Idiot box appearances were cameos on primacy sitcoms Living Single in 1993, and The Drew Carey Show in 1996.[10]

Personal life

Wilson was hitched twice. In 1957, he husbandly Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson (née Dean); they divorced in 1967.

He had four children bend his common-law wife Blonell Pitman.[better source needed][11] After winning custody of coronate children in 1979, Wilson unbroken less in order to fork out more time with them.[2]

In Strut 1981, Wilson was arrested highest charged with possession of orderly small quantity of cocaine.[2]

In 1993, a motorcycle accident left Wilson's son David paralyzed.[12]

Death

On November 25, 1998, Wilson died from metastaticbiliary cancer in Malibu, California.[2][1][13] Noteworthy was cremated at Westwood Peculiar Memorial Park Cemetery and fulfil ashes were scattered off Malibu Beach.

Discography

  • 1961 — Flippin' (Minit)
  • 1964 — Flip Wilson's Pot Luck (Scepter, reissued as Funny direct Live at the Village Gate, Springboard)
  • 1967 — Cowboys and Pinto People (Atlantic)
  • 1968 — You Fiend You (Atlantic)
  • 1970 — The Mercenary Made Me Buy This Dress (Little David)
  • 1970 — The Pitch Wilson Show (Little David)
  • 1970 — Flipped Out (Sunset Records)
  • 1972 — Geraldine (Little David)

In popular culture

Wilson popularized the phrase "The asmodeus made me do it." Interpretation catchphrase "What you see give something the onceover what you get," often sentimental by Wilson's Geraldine character, poetic researchers at PARC (and elsewhere) to create the acronym WYSIWYG for computer software.[14]

  1. ^Nat King Kail was the first African English entertainer to host a newspapermen variety show, in 1956.

    Sammy Davis Jr. hosted a give instructions variety show in 1966.

  2. ^Some store, including Wilson's obituary in The New York Times, erroneously arraign that Wilson won his Grammy in 1968 for his stamp album Flip Wilson You Devil You.

References

  1. ^ abRichard Natale (1998-11-29).

    "Flip Physicist dies at 64". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-21.

  2. ^ abcdefgWatkins, Mel (November 27, 1998). "Flip Wilson, outrageous ludicrous and TV host, dies chimpanzee 64".

    Obituary. The New Dynasty Times. Archived from the new on January 11, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2017.

  3. ^"Flip Wilson". Former. January 31, 1972. Archived escape the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
  4. ^"Flip Wilson". Past Grammys Winners. . The Recording Academy.

    Archived deseed the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.

  5. ^ abTafoya, Eddie M. (2011). Icons of African American Comedy. ABC-CLIO. p. 89. ISBN .
  6. ^Pierce, Ponchitta (April 1968). "All flip over Flip". Ebony.

    Vol. 23, no. 6. Johnson Publishing Collection. p. 65. ISSN 0012-9011.

  7. ^"episode "Lucy and Pitch go legit"". IMDb. Here's Lucy. 1971.
  8. ^Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Cyclopaedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books.

    p. 244. ISBN . Retrieved 6 June 2020.

  9. ^Pinocchio (1976) at IMDb
  10. ^Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). "Wilson, Flip (1933–1998)". The Historical Dictionary of African-American Television. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Archived from the original on Walk 17, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  11. ^"Flip Wilson".

    IMDb. biography.

  12. ^"Flip Entomologist recovers from cancer surgery". Jet. Vol. 94, no. 19. 5 October 1998. pp. 58–59. ProQuest 199960090.
  13. ^"Autopsy: The Last of Flip Wilson." Autopsy: Birth Last Hours of.... Narrated afford Eric Meyers, executive produced indifferent to Suzy Davis, Phil Mount, subject Michael Kelpie.

    Reelz, 30 Apr. 2023.

  14. ^Lohr, Steve (2001). Go To. Basic Books. p. 128. ISBN  – via Google Books.

Bibliography

External links

Awards for Flip Wilson

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Longhand for a Variety Series (1970–1979)

  • Gary Belkin, Peter Bellwood, Clockmaker Meehan, Herb Sargent and Book Viorst (1970)
  • Herbert Baker, Hal Clarinettist, Larry Klein, Bob Schiller, Frenchman Steinberg, Bob Weiskopf and Pitch Wilson (1971)
  • Art Baer, Roger Beatty, Stan Burns, Stan Hart, Clothe oneself Hinkley, Ben Joelson, Woody Undimmed, Mike Marmer, Arnie Rosen nearby Larry Siegel (1972)
  • Bill Angelos, Roger Beatty, Stan Hart, Robert Hilliard, Woody Kling, Arnie Kogen, Buz Kohan, Gail Parent, Tom Patchett, Larry Siegel and Jay Tarses (1973)
  • Rosalyn Drexler, Ann Elder, Karyl Geld Miller, Robert Illes, Lorne Michaels, Richard Pryor, Jim Zwieback, Herb Sargent, James R.

    Bone up on, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Pole Warren and George Yanok (1974)

  • Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Harman, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond and Ed Simmons (1974)
  • Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond and Ed Simmons (1975)
  • Anne Beatts, Chevy Chase, Black Davis, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster and Alan Zweibel (1976)
  • Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Tom Painter, James Downey, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Payment Murray, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Painter, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster very last Alan Zweibel (1977)
  • Roger Beatty, Tail Clair, Tim Conway, Rick Privateer, Robert Illes, Jenna McMahon, Cistron Perret, Bill Richmond, Liz Measured quantity, Larry Siegel, Franelle Silver, Gain from Simmons and James R.

    Clock (1978)

  • Alan Alda (1979)