Demond Wilson Passed Away!

Demond Wilson passed away in Palm Springs from terminal cancer.

The Son of Sanford and Son, "Grady" Demond Wilson has passed away.

Midway Wrap Up in May.

American actor, writer and director [Grady] Demond Wilson who played Lamont Sanford in the Norman Lear sitcom Sanford and Son has passed away at the age of 79.

Wilson starred on "Sanford and Son" from 1972 to 1977, appearing opposite Redd Foxx, who played his on-screen father, Fred Sanford. The series, adapted from the British show "Steptoe and Son," centered on a father and son who operated a junkyard in Los Angeles and became one of the highest-rated television comedies of the 1970s.

As Lamont Sanford, Wilson portrayed a working-class man who was frequently caught between his responsibilities and loyalty to his father. His character served as a central figure throughout the show’s five-season run, appearing in most episodes.

Born in New York City, Wilson trained in theater before transitioning to television. In addition to "Sanford and Son," his career included stage work and appearances in film and television projects throughout the 1970s and beyond. Later in life, Wilson also became an ordained minister.

"Sanford and Son" is widely regarded as a landmark sitcom in television history and played a significant role in expanding Black representation on primetime television during its original run. The series has continued to air in syndication for decades.

Wilson was born in Valdosta, Georgia, on October 13, 1946, and grew up in New York City, where he studied tap dance and ballet. He made his Broadway debut at age four and danced at Harlem's Apollo Theater at age 12. Wilson was raised as a Catholic and served as an altar boy. He would spend summers with his grandmother Ada Mitchell, who was Pentecostal. Wilson briefly considered becoming a Catholic priest. At age 13, Wilson's appendix ruptured, almost killing him, but he vowed to serve God as an adult in some ministerial capacity.

He served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968 and was in the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam, where he was wounded. Upon returning home in the late 1960s, Wilson was featured in several Broadway and off-Broadway stage productions before moving to Hollywood, where he performed guest roles on several television series such as Mission: Impossible and All in the Family and acted in films such as The Organization (1971) and Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972).

When Sanford and Son was ranked top 10 of NBC shows, Redd Foxx left the show after being denied more pay. It sparked a longtime rift between Foxx and Demond Wilson.

At the peak of Sanford and Son, Redd Foxx left the show over pay disputes. He ended up causing a feud with Wilson.

Later in 1971, after appearing as a robber on All in the Family with Cleavon Little, Wilson won the role of Lamont Sanford in the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son. Johnny Brown was considered for that role, but because of his commitment to Laugh-In, Wilson got the role instead. Wilson played Lamont through the run of the series, and became the star when Redd Foxx walked off the show in 1974 over a salary dispute with the producers and his character was written out for the rest of the season. Foxx returned the following year, and the pair worked together until 1977 when the show was cancelled. In 1980–1981, Foxx attempted to revive the show with the short-lived sitcom Sanford, but Wilson refused to reprise his role for the new series.

When asked in 2014 if he kept in touch with anybody from Sanford & Son, especially Foxx (who died on October 11, 1991), he responded:

No. I saw Redd Foxx once before he died, circa 1983, and I never saw him again. At the time I was playing tennis at the Malibu Racquet Club and I was approached by some producers about doing a Redd Foxx 50th Anniversary Special. I hadn't spoken to him since 1977, and I called the club where (Redd) was playing. And we met at Redd's office, but he was less than affable. I told those guys it was a bad idea. I never had a cross word with him. People say I'm protective of Redd Foxx in my book (Second Banana, Wilson's memoir of the Sanford years). I had no animosity toward Foxx (for quitting the show in 1977) because I had a million dollar contract at CBS to do Baby... I'm Back!. My hurt was that he didn't come to me about throwing the towel in - I found out in the hallway at NBC from a newscaster. I forgave him and I loved Redd, but I never forgot that. The love was there. You can watch any episode and see that.

He later became an ordained minister. He was married to model Cicely Johnston on May 3, 1974. They had six children. In 1984 he was ordained as a minister in the Church of God in Christ and was an active Christian evangelist for much of his adult life.