Grady Demond Wilson, the last surviving main cast member of the fan favorite TV sitcom Sanford and Son, has passed away.
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The 79-year-old, best known for his role as Lamont Sanford on the classic ‘70s sitcom, died at his home in Palm Springs, California, on Jan. 30. His son, Demond Jr., confirmed to TMZ that his father died from cancer complications, remembering him as a “great man.”
Wilson’s performance as a Harlem burglar holding the Bunkers hostage in a 1971 episode of All in the Family helped land him the role of Lamont Sanford. He went from fictional home invasion to fictional junk management, playing the long-suffering son to Redd Foxx’s Fred G. Sanford at their iconic Watts salvage yard.
Developed by All in the Family executive producer Bud Yorkin, Sanford and Son was based on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son. The show premiered on January 14, 1972. It quickly became a ratings juggernaut, steamrolling competitors like The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and The Brady Bunch. It was a top-10 hit for its last five seasons and peaked at No. 2 twice, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1974, Wilson kept the show running when Foxx walked off over a salary dispute (Fred was conveniently sent to a cousin’s funeral in St. Louis). After the 1976-77 season, Foxx left for good to host his own short-lived ABC variety show.
Grady Demond Wilson Turned Down an Offer to Star in ‘Sanford and Son’ Solo
Meanwhile, Wilson turned down an offer to star in the sitcom alone. His next project was the CBS show Baby…I’m Back!. In it, he played a man who abandons his family but returns seven years later to find his wife (Denise Nicholas) about to remarry. That sitcom, which also featured Kim Fields as one of their children, lasted just 13 episodes.
Wilson later played Oscar Madison alongside Ron Glass as Felix Unger in The New Odd Couple. However, the 1982-83 remake was canceled after only 18 episodes.
Meanwhile, Foxx returned as Fred in 1981 on a new NBC series called Sanford. However, without his chemistry with Wilson, it ended after one season.
Wilson was introduced to a new generation of fans as Kenneth Miles, the father of Persia White’s character on UPN’s Girlfriends. He also wrote a 2009 book titled Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memories of the Sanford & Son Years.
In May 1974, he married Cicely Johnston, a former flight attendant and model; the couple had six children.