TV fans are mourning the loss of Demond Wilson — the quick-witted, eye-rolling Lamont Sanford who traded barbs with Redd Foxx on NBC’s hit sitcom Sanford and Son. Wilson died Friday at his home in Palm Springs after battling cancer, his son confirmed. He was 79.
Wilson became a household name in the early ’70s, but his big break came from an unexpected place: a single episode of All in the Family. His guest appearance as a Harlem burglar caught the attention of producers, landing him the role that would define his career — Fred Sanford’s long-suffering son, forever greeted with the classic line “Hey, Dummy!”
Sanford and Son premiered in 1972 and exploded in popularity, crushing competitors like The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Brady Bunch in the ratings. It became a top-10 show for five straight seasons, turning demolition-yard banter into must-see TV.
When Redd Foxx briefly walked off the show during a contract fight, Wilson kept the sitcom alive on his own. But after Foxx officially exited in 1977, Wilson declined to carry the franchise solo, choosing instead to star in CBS’ Baby … I’m Back. That comedy only lasted 13 episodes, as did his later Odd Couple reboot with Ron Glass.
Off-screen, Wilson faced — and beat — a cocaine addiction in the 1980s before walking away from Hollywood entirely. He became an interdenominational minister and often said preaching brought him more joy than acting ever did.
Born Grady Demond Wilson in Georgia and raised in Harlem, he was performing on Broadway by age 4 and dancing at the Apollo by 12. After studying acting, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and wounded while serving in Vietnam. Once home, he built a steady theater career before his breakout year in 1971, when he appeared in All in the Family, Mission: Impossible, and Sidney Poitier’s crime drama The Organization.
Wilson later returned to TV in supporting roles, including a recurring part on UPN’s Girlfriends, and authored a memoir about his Sanford and Son years.
He married model Cicely Johnston in 1974, and together they raised six children.
A comedy icon, a TV pioneer, and a man who reinvented his life more than once — Demond Wilson leaves behind a legacy fans won’t soon forget.
I always felt so sorry for Lamont, having to deal with his father’s phony heart attacks everytime he wanted to go somewhere. Demond Wilson, you will be missed.