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, racism, 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 for his HBO comedy specials and roles in TV shows. These included Coach Walter Oakes in A Different World (1987–1991) and David Bryan on The Sinbad Show (1993–1994). He also appeared 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 Military Service

Sinbad was born on November 10, 1956, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. His father was a Baptist minister. He has five siblings. Sinbad went to Benton Harbor High School and graduated in 1974. He then attended the University of Denver from 1974 to 1978. There, he played basketball for two seasons with the basketball team.

Time in the Air Force

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 downtown to perform stand-up comedy. He even competed in the Air Force's Talent Contest in 1981. Sinbad faced some challenges during his service, including being absent without leave. He was eventually discharged for minor rule breaking.

Comedy and Acting Career

To stand out, David Adkins chose the stage name Sinbad. He admired the character Sinbad the Sailor. He started his stand-up career on Star Search. Sinbad won his round against comedian Dennis Miller. He reached the finals before losing to John Kassir.

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

Starring in A Different World

In 1987, Sinbad joined the cast of 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. This was because they had different ideas about life.

Leading The Sinbad Show

By the early 1990s, Sinbad was very popular. Fox decided to create The Sinbad Show. It first aired on September 16, 1993. In the show, Sinbad played David Bryan, a 35-year-old single man. He decided to become a foster parent to two children.

Around this time, Sinbad had joint custody of his own two children. He told the press that his experiences as a single parent helped him with the role.

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.

Films and Other Projects

Sinbad meeting with Zama American High School students in September 2004

In 1990, Sinbad performed his first stand-up comedy special for HBO. It was called Sinbad: Brain Damaged. In 1993, he did another special, Sinbad: Afros and Bellbottoms. For this, he won a 1995 Image Award. He returned for more specials, including Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man in 1996 and Sinbad: Nothin' but the Funk in 1997.

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

From 1989 to 1991, Sinbad hosted It's Showtime at the Apollo. He also hosted an episode of Soul Train in 1995. He appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 1998. In May 2000, he was the emcee for the Miss Universe Pageant.

In the 1990s, Sinbad guest-starred on Nickelodeon's All That. He played "Sinboo," the father of a character named Ishboo. He also had a small role in the comedy movie Good Burger. He played "Mr. Wheat," a short-tempered teacher.

Sinbad co-starred with Phil Hartman in the comedy film Houseguest (1995). Sinbad played Kevin Franklin, who owes money to the mob. The film earned $26 million in North America.

Sinbad's other film roles include First Kid and Jingle All the Way (1996). In Jingle All the Way, he starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Hartman. For this movie, Sinbad won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for "Favorite Supporting Actor – Family."

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

The NAACP Image Awards recognized his voice work in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1996). He voiced Riley in Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996). He also voiced the horse "Hollywood Shuffle" in Ready to Run.

In 1997, Sinbad released a book of funny essays called Sinbad's Guide to Life: Because I Know Everything. He wrote it with David Ritz.

In 1998 and 1999, Sinbad appeared in three episodes of Cosby. In 2002, he was in three episodes of the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. In 2004, he was named the No. 78 Greatest Stand Up Comic of All Time by Comedy Central.

Sinbad also made a guest appearance on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2008. He was the host of Thou Shalt Laugh 3, released in 2008.

He performed his Comedy Central special Where U Been? in 2010. On March 14, 2010, he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice. He was eliminated in the second episode.

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

In 2013, Sinbad voiced Roper in the animated film Planes. He also had guest roles on the animated series American Dad! in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

In April 2015, Sinbad performed in a USO show at military 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 CollegeHumor video. This video played on an Internet rumor about a genie movie called Shazaam that never actually existed. The video showed new footage that looked like it was from the 1990s.

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

Working with 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 celebrity speaker at MacWorld Expo 2011.

Music Interests

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

Personal Life

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

In November 2020, his family announced that Sinbad was recovering from a stroke. In March 2024, Sinbad shared on social media that he was still recovering and working towards a comeback.

Financial Challenges

In April 2009, Sinbad was listed among the top tax debtors in California. He owed the state $2.5 million in personal income tax. In December 2009, Sinbad filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which is a legal way to deal with financial difficulties. In February 2010, it was reported that he put his large hilltop home up for sale to help with his tax debts.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Images for kids

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  Sinbad in 2008

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  Sinbad meeting with Zama American High School students in September 2004

See also

In Spanish: Sinbad (actor) para niños