Shirley Hemphill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shirley Hemphill
Born	Shirley Ann Hemphill (1947-07-01)July 1, 1947 Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	December 10, 1999(1999-12-10) (aged 52) West Covina, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Morristown College
Occupation	Comedian, actress
Years active	1976–1999

From TV's What's Happening!! (1977). Seated, L-R: Fred Berry, Ernest Lee Thomas, and Haywood Nelson (back to camera). Standing: Shirley Hemphill.

Shirley Ann Hemphill (born July 1, 1947 – died December 10, 1999) was an American stand-up comedian and actress. She was best known for her role as Shirley Wilson in the popular TV show What's Happening!! and its follow-up, What's Happening Now!!.

Shirley Hemphill was born in Asheville, North Carolina. She moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to start a career in comedy. She performed at many comedy clubs, and her funny routines soon got her noticed. This led to her getting guest roles on television shows. In 1976, she got the part of Shirley Wilson, a lively waitress, in the TV show What's Happening!!.

What's Happening!! was a successful show for the ABC network. However, some problems behind the scenes and with the actors caused ABC to cancel the show in 1979. The next year, Shirley Hemphill got her own TV show called One in a Million. This show did not attract many viewers and was canceled in June 1980.

In 1985, Shirley Hemphill played Shirley Wilson again in a new version of What's Happening!!. This show was called What's Happening Now!! and was shown in syndication. In this show, her character was a co-owner of the restaurant where she worked. Like the first show, What's Happening Now!! aired for three seasons. After this show ended, Hemphill went back to doing stand-up comedy. She also appeared in movies and other TV shows until she passed away in December 1999.

Shirley Hemphill's Early Life and Career

Shirley Hemphill was born in Asheville, North Carolina. Her parents were Richard and Mozella Hemphill. She had one brother named William. Shirley went to Hill Street School and Stephens-Lee High School. She later received a sports scholarship to Morristown College. There, she studied physical education. Shirley returned to Asheville after two years. She found a job in a factory that made nylons.

Shirley dreamed of becoming a stand-up comedian. She sent a tape of her comedy act to famous comedian Flip Wilson. Wilson was very impressed by her routine. He sent her a cassette recorder and a dozen roses. Wilson also invited Shirley to visit the set of his show, The Flip Wilson Show. After her visit, Shirley went back to her factory job in Asheville. But she decided to follow her dream of a comedy career instead. She quit her job and traveled to Los Angeles by bus. Shirley got a job as a waitress during the day. At night, she performed at The Comedy Store, a famous comedy club.

By 1976, Shirley Hemphill's stand-up comedy was getting noticed. A casting agent named Joan Murray saw her talent. Murray gave Shirley a guest role on the TV show Good Times. This led to another guest role on All's Fair. After seeing her on Good Times, TV producer Norman Lear offered Shirley her own TV show. But she turned it down. Instead, she tried out for and won the role of Shirley Wilson. This was for the ABC sitcom What's Happening!!.

The show What's Happening!! was loosely based on the 1975 movie Cooley High. It followed the adventures of three teenage boys: Raj (Ernest Thomas), Rerun (Fred Berry), and Dwayne (Haywood Nelson). Shirley Hemphill's character worked at Rob's Place. This was the restaurant the boys often visited. The show was a moderate success for ABC. However, it faced some problems behind the scenes.

During the show's second season, Fred Berry and Ernest Thomas had disagreements. They felt their dressing rooms were not suitable. In the third season, Fred Berry asked for more money. He reportedly convinced Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson to join him in a protest. The show's producers decided to cancel the series instead of increasing the actors' salaries.

After What's Happening!! was canceled, Shirley Hemphill tried out for a role on Archie Bunker's Place. But the part went to Anne Meara. The very next day, Shirley was offered the main role in her own sitcom. It was called One in a Million. In this show, she played Shirley Simmons, a taxi driver. Her character inherited a large company and a lot of money from one of her customers. The show started on ABC on January 8, 1980. But it did not attract enough viewers. ABC canceled the show in June 1980.

Afterward, Shirley spent most of the early 1980s performing in nightclubs across the U.S. She also made occasional guest appearances on TV shows. These included The Love Boat and Trapper John, M.D.. In 1985, she was asked to co-star in the return of What's Happening!!. This new show was called What's Happening Now!!. It aired in syndication from 1985 to 1988. After What's Happening Now!! finished its three-year run, she again performed in nightclubs. She also had acting roles in 1990s comedy shows. These included Martin and The Wayans Bros.. In 1993, she appeared in her first movie, CB4, which starred Chris Rock. Two years later, she co-starred in her second movie, Shoot the Moon.

Throughout her career, Shirley Hemphill performed her stand-up comedy on many popular TV shows. These included The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, A&E's An Evening at the Improv, and BET's Black Comedy Showcase. She was also a regular performer at The Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles. A year before she passed away, Shirley appeared on The Jenny Jones Show. It was a What's Happening!! reunion show. Actors Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson also appeared.

Shirley Hemphill's Passing

On December 10, 1999, Shirley Hemphill was found deceased at her home. She was in West Covina, California, and was 52 years old. A gardener discovered her body. He looked through a window and saw her lying on her bedroom floor. An examination showed that Shirley Hemphill died from kidney failure. Her body was cremated.

Shirley Hemphill's Filmography