Sinbad (comedian) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sinbad
Sinbad in 2008
Birth name	David Adkins
Born	(1956-11-10) November 10, 1956 (age 68) Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up film television
Years active	1986–present
Genres	Observational comedy, political satire, black comedy, surreal humor, character comedy, clean comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday life, self-deprecation, marriage, parenting, American politics, current events, family, friend, pop culture, race relations, relationships, aging
Spouse	Meredith Fuller ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1992)​ ​ ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	2

David Adkins (born November 10, 1956), known by his stage name Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became famous in the 1990s. He had his own TV specials on HBO and appeared in many TV shows. His most notable roles were Coach Walter Oakes in A Different World (1987–1991) and David Bryan on The Sinbad Show (1993–1994). Sinbad has also acted in movies like Coneheads (1993), Houseguest (1995), Jingle All the Way (1996), and Good Burger (1997). He also voiced a character in the animated film Planes (2013).

Early Life and Education

Sinbad was born on November 10, 1956, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. His father, Dr. Donald Beckley Adkins Sr., was a Baptist minister. Sinbad has five brothers and sisters. He went to Benton Harbor High School and finished in 1974. From 1974 to 1978, he attended the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. While there, he played basketball for the Denver Pioneers team for two seasons.

Time in the Military

Sinbad served in the United States Air Force. He worked as a boom operator on KC-135 Stratotanker planes. While stationed in Wichita, Kansas, he often went to town to perform stand-up comedy. He even competed in the Air Force's Talent Contest in 1981 as a comedian.

Becoming a Star: Sinbad's Career

To stand out in entertainment, David Adkins chose the stage name Sinbad. He picked it because he admired the character Sinbad the Sailor. He started his comedy career on the show Star Search. Sinbad won his round against comedian Dennis Miller and reached the finals.

He soon got a role as Byron Lightfoot in The Redd Foxx Show, a TV show that didn't last long.

Playing Coach Walter Oakes in A Different World

In 1987, Sinbad got a role in A Different World. This show was a spin-off of The Cosby Show. Sinbad had previously appeared on The Cosby Show as a car salesman. In A Different World, he played Coach Walter Oakes from 1988 to 1991. His character, Walter, dated Jaleesa Vinson, played by Dawnn Lewis. They got engaged but later decided not to marry.

Starring in The Sinbad Show

By the early 1990s, Sinbad was very popular. The Fox network created The Sinbad Show for him, which started on September 16, 1993. In the show, Sinbad played David Bryan, a single man who became a foster parent to two children.

Sinbad himself had joint custody of his two children at the time. He shared with the press that his real-life experiences helped him understand single parenting for the show. The Sinbad Show ended on April 21, 1994. However, Sinbad was nominated for "Favorite Television Actor" at the 1995 Kids' Choice Awards for his role.

Movies, TV Specials, and More Projects

Sinbad meeting with students at Zama American High School in 2004

In 1990, Sinbad performed his first stand-up comedy special for HBO, called Sinbad: Brain Damaged. He recorded it at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1993, he did another special, Sinbad: Afros and Bellbottoms, at Paramount Theater in New York City. He won a 1995 Image Award for this show. He returned to HBO for more specials: Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man in 1996 and Sinbad: Nothin' but the Funk in 1997.

Sinbad also won an NAACP Image Award in 1998 for Sinbad's Summer Jam III: '70s Soul Music Festival. In 1995, Sinbad started his own company called "David & Goliath Productions".

From 1989 to 1991, Sinbad hosted It's Showtime at the Apollo. He also hosted an episode of Soul Train and appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 1998. In May 2000, he was the host for the Miss Universe Pageant.

In the 1990s, Sinbad was a guest star on Nickelodeon's All That. He played "Sinboo," the father of a character named Ishboo. He also made a quick appearance in the comedy movie Good Burger, playing a short-tempered teacher named Mr. Wheat.

Sinbad co-starred with Phil Hartman in the movie Houseguest (1995). Sinbad played Kevin Franklin, a man who owes money. He pretends to be an old college friend of Gary Young (Phil Hartman). The movie was released on January 6, 1995, and earned a lot of money.

Sinbad's other movie roles include First Kid, where he played a Secret Service Agent, and Jingle All the Way (1996) with Arnold Schwarzenegger. For Jingle All the Way, Sinbad won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award.

In March 1996, Sinbad joined First Lady Hillary Clinton and musician Sheryl Crow on a USO tour to entertain troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He lent his voice to characters in animated films, like Riley in Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) and Hollywood Shuffle in Ready to Run.

In 1997, Sinbad released a funny book of essays called Sinbad's Guide to Life: Because I Know Everything.

In 2004, he was named the No. 78 Greatest Stand Up Comic of All Time by Comedy Central.

Sinbad also helped discover the R&B music group 702. He convinced their parents to let him take them to a music competition.

He made a guest appearance on the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2008. He also hosted Thou Shalt Laugh 3, a comedy DVD.

In 2010, Sinbad was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. He was the project manager for a challenge but his team lost, and he was fired in the second episode.

Sinbad starred in a reality show on WE tv called Sinbad: It's Just Family in 2011.

In 2013, he voiced Roper in the animated movie Planes. He also voiced an animated version of himself in three episodes of the show American Dad! between 2013 and 2015.

In April 2015, Sinbad performed for troops at Bagram and Kandahar Air Bases in Afghanistan.

In 2017, he voiced Uroho the baboon in two episodes of Disney Junior's The Lion Guard. That same year, he appeared in a funny video from CollegeHumor. The video was about a fake 1990s genie movie called Shazaam, which many people mistakenly remembered. This was part of a Mandela Effect joke, where people have false memories.

From 2018 to 2019, he starred as Milton on the Fox show Rel.

Sinbad and Apple

Sinbad has often used and promoted Apple products. He has appeared at many Apple events, including Macworld and WWDC shows. On January 25, 2011, he was the special celebrity speaker at the MacWorld Expo 2011.

Music Talents

Sinbad also plays percussion and drums. He often shows off his musical skills after his comedy shows. He has played with various artists, sometimes using the name "Memphis Red."

Personal Life

Sinbad married Meredith Fuller in 1985. They had two children together. They divorced in 1992 but remarried in 2002.

In November 2020, Sinbad's family announced that he was recovering from a stroke. In March 2024, Sinbad shared on social media that he was still recovering but hoped to return to his career in the future.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Sinbad (actor) para niños

• Mononymous person