Demond Wilson, 'Sanford and Son' star, dies at 79

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Redd Foxx as Fred G. Sanford and Demond Wilson as Lamont Sanford (Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

Demond Wilson, the actor best known for playing Lamont Sanford on "Sanford and Son," has died. 

He was 79 years old. 

Demond Wilson’s death

What we know:

Wilson’s son, Demond Wilson Jr., confirmed his father’s death to TMZ. He said Wilson died Friday morning at his home in Palm Springs, California, following complications from cancer. 

What we don't know:

Wilson’s son didn’t say what kind of cancer his father had. 

What they're saying:

 "I loved him. He was a great man," Wilson told TMZ. 

Demond Wilson’s life

The backstory:

Wilson was born in Valdosta, Georgia, in 1946, and grew up in New York City, according to the National R&B Music Society Inc. He first appeared on Broadway at age 4 and danced at the Apollo Theater when he was 12. 

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"Sanford and Son," starring comedian Redd Fox as Fred Sanford and Wilson as his son Lamont, debuted in 1972 and ran until 1977. The show revolved around widower Fred Sanford, an irascible junk dealer in the Watts area of L.A. who foisted work and insults on his long-suffering son, Lamont. Among them: "You big dummy!" which became a show catchphrase.

(Original Caption) Actor Demond Wilson in the TV series Sanford and Son (1972-1977). (Getty Images)

It was an instant ratings smash, opening the door for other Black family shows to move into the virtually all-white TV neighborhood.

Wilson, a Vietnam veteran who had appeared on stage in New York, in films and on TV, was approached about the series after an "All in the Family" guest role. 

When Wilson heard that Foxx was going to star in a TV sitcom, he initially brushed it off as a joke: Foxx was a raunchy Black comedian, and TV was a lot more timid in the early ‘70s. 

"It would be like bringing a dog to a cat party," Wilson recalled in a 2022 interview with The Associated Press. 

Wilson also learned that the producers had another possibility in mind to play Lamont.

"‘We were considering Richard Pryor,’" Wilson recalled being told. "I said, ‘C’mon, you can’t put a comedian with a comedian. You’ve got to have a straight man.’ Dick Martin was the nut, Dan Rowan was the straight guy" on "Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In," he said.

After "Sanford and Son" ended, Wilson later had a role on UPN’s "Girlfriends," according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also wrote a 2009 book, "Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memories of the Sanford & Son Years."

He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, model Cicely Johnston, and the couple’s six children.