Flip Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Flip Wilson |
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Wilson in 1969
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| Birth name | Clerow Wilson Jr. |
| Born | December 8, 1933 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 1998 (aged 64) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Years active | 1959–1998 |
| Spouse |
Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson Dean
(m. 1957; div. 1967)Tuanchai "Cookie" MacKenzie
(m. 1979; div. 1984) |
| Children | 5 |
| Notable works and roles | The Flip Wilson Show |
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was a famous American comedian and actor. He was best known for his TV shows in the late 1960s and 1970s.
From 1970 to 1974, Flip Wilson hosted his own weekly show called The Flip Wilson Show. On this show, he introduced a popular character named Geraldine. His show won a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards. For a while, it was the second most-watched show on TV.
Flip Wilson was the first African American to host a very successful TV variety show. In January 1972, Time magazine put his picture on its cover. They called him "TV's first black superstar." He also released many comedy albums in the 1960s and 1970s. He won a Grammy Award for his 1970 album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress.
Wilson continued to perform and act until the 1990s. He hosted a show called People Are Funny in 1984. He also had the main role in the TV show Charlie & Co. from 1985 to 1986. He passed away from cancer in 1998.
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Early Life and Nickname
Clerow Wilson Jr. was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was one of ten children. When he was seven, his mother left the family. His father could not take care of all the children alone. So, many of them went to live in foster homes.
After moving between foster homes and a special school for young people, Wilson joined the United States Air Force. He was only sixteen, so he lied about his age to join. He was very outgoing and told funny stories. This made him popular. He even toured military bases to make other service members laugh. His friends in the Air Force called him "Flip" because he was always "flipped out." He later used this as his stage name.
After leaving the Air Force in 1954, Wilson worked as a bellhop in a hotel in San Francisco. At the hotel's nightclub, he found extra work. He would play a funny character between the main acts. This character became very popular. Wilson then started performing this character in clubs all over California. At first, he would just make things up as he went along. Later, he started writing his jokes and his act became more polished.
Starting a Comedy Career
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Flip Wilson often performed in nightclubs. These clubs were mainly for black audiences and were part of what was called the "Chitlin' Circuit." During the 1960s, Wilson became a regular performer at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
He got a big break in 1965. Comedian Redd Foxx was a guest on The Tonight Show. The host, Johnny Carson, asked Foxx who the funniest comedian was. Foxx said, "Flip Wilson." Carson then invited Wilson to appear on The Tonight Show. Wilson became a favorite guest there and on The Ed Sullivan Show. Wilson later said that Ed Sullivan helped his career the most.
Wilson also appeared on many other TV comedy and variety shows. These included Here's Lucy, Laugh-In, and The Dean Martin Show. Famous comedian Richard Pryor once told Wilson, "You're the only performer that I've ever seen who goes on the stage and the audience hopes that you like them." This shows how much people enjoyed his warm personality.
One of his famous comedy routines was called "Columbus." It was on his 1967 album Cowboys and Colored People. In this routine, Wilson told the story of Christopher Columbus in a funny, modern way. Columbus tries to get money from the Spanish monarchs. He says that if he discovers America, he can also discover Ray Charles. Queen "Isabel Johnson", who sounds like an early version of Wilson's character Geraldine, says, "Chris can have all the money you want, honey – You go find Ray Charles!"
In 1970, Wilson won a Grammy Award for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress. He was also a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
The Flip Wilson Show
In 1970, Flip Wilson's own variety show, The Flip Wilson Show, started on NBC. On the show, he performed in funny skits. He also hosted many famous African-American entertainers. These included Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, the Supremes, the Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Redd Foxx, boxer Muhammad Ali, and basketball player Bill Russell.
He had a special way of greeting all his guests. It was called the "Flip Wilson Handshake." It involved four hand slaps, two elbow bumps, and two hip-bumps. George Carlin was one of the show's writers. Carlin also appeared on the show often.
Wilson created several memorable characters for his show. One was Reverend Leroy, a funny pastor of the "Church of What’s Happening Now." His most popular character was Geraldine Jones. Her catchphrases, "The devil made me do it" and "What you see is what you get", became very popular across the country.
The Flip Wilson Show aired until 1974. It was very popular and got high ratings. It also received great reviews. The show was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards during its run and won two. Wilson also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series.
Later Acting Roles
After his variety show, Wilson acted in TV and movie films. These included Uptown Saturday Night and The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh. In 1976, he played the Fox in a TV musical version of Pinocchio. He appeared with Sandy Duncan as Pinocchio and Danny Kaye as Geppetto. In 1981, he made a guest appearance on The Love Boat.
From March to July 1984, Wilson hosted a new version of the show People are Funny. In 1985 and 1986, Wilson had the main role in the CBS TV show Charlie & Co. Two of his last TV appearances were small roles on the shows Living Single in 1993 and The Drew Carey Show in 1996.
Personal Life
Flip Wilson was married two times. In 1957, he married Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson. They divorced in 1967. He also had four children with Blonell Pitman. In 1979, he won custody of his children. After this, he performed less often so he could spend more time with them. In 1979, he married Tuanchai "Cookie" MacKenzie. They had one child together and divorced in 1984.
Death
Flip Wilson passed away on November 25, 1998. He died from liver cancer in Malibu, California. This was two weeks before his 65th birthday. His body was cremated, and his ashes were spread off Malibu Beach.
Discography
- 1961 — Flippin' (Minit)
- 1964 — Flip Wilson's Pot Luck (Scepter, reissued as Funny and Live at the Village Gate, Springboard)
- 1967 — Cowboys and Colored People (Atlantic)
- 1968 — You Devil You (Atlantic)
- 1970 — The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress (Little David)
- 1970 — The Flip Wilson Show (Little David)
- 1970 — Flipped Out (Sunset Records)
- 1972 — Geraldine (Little David)
See also
In Spanish: Flip Wilson para niños
