John E. Sanford is the birth name behind one of America’s boldest stand-up comedians, Redd Foxx. Born John Elroy Sanford in 1922, he starred in Sanford and Son, recorded more than 50 party records, and shaped how later comics talked on stage. This guide follows his life, his sitcom years, his films, and the legacy he left when he died in 1991.
Who Is John E. Sanford? The Man Behind Redd Foxx
Other men share the name, but most searchers mean the comedian. He performed as Redd Foxx from 1935 until his death, a career of more than five decades. He married four times: Evelyn Killebrew in 1948, Betty Jean Harris in 1956, Joi Yun Chi Chung in 1976, and Ka Ho Cho in July 1991, three months before he died.
| Detail | Fact |
| Birth name | John Elroy Sanford |
| Stage name | Redd Foxx |
| Born | December 9, 1922, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | October 11, 1991, Los Angeles, California (age 68) |
| Known for | Stand-up comedy, Sanford and Son |
| Years active | 1935–1991 |
| Resting place | Palm Eastern Cemetery, Las Vegas, Nevada |
John Elroy Sanford (Redd Foxx): Early Life and Rise in Stand-Up Comedy
Early Life, Birth, and the Redd Foxx Stage Name
John Elroy Sanford, the future American comedian, was born on December 9, 1922, in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up on Chicago’s South Side. His father, Fred “Freddie” Sanford, left the family after 1930, so his mother, Mary Hughes, and his grandmother raised him.
At DuSable High School, he studied alongside Harold Washington, who later became Chicago’s mayor. In the 1940s he washed dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem next to Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X. Both men had reddish hair. Friends called Sanford “Chicago Red” and Malcolm “Detroit Red.” During World War II, Sanford dodged the draft by eating half a bar of soap before his physical, which set off heart palpitations.
Later, while struggling for work in New York City, Sanford took the name Redd Foxx.
Nightclub Act, Chitlin Circuit, and Party Records
Foxx honed his nightclub act on the Chitlin Circuit, a chain of Black nightclubs, during the 1940s and 1950s. His jokes were blunt and raunchy, packed with foul language and adult topics. By the 1960s, albums of his stand-up routines sold well among Black listeners. Many stores with mostly white customers would not stock them.
His big break came from singer Dinah Washington, who urged him to move to Los Angeles. There, Dootsie Williams of Dootone Records watched him at the Brass Rail nightclub. A long-term record deal followed.
Foxx recorded on more than 50 records and earned the title “King of the Party Records.” He was also one of the first Black comics to play to white crowds on the Las Vegas Strip, and he later worked mainly as a Las Vegas headliner.
Sanford and Son: Fred G. Sanford and the Hit Sitcom
Foxx’s film role in Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) caught the eye of producer Norman Lear. Lear wanted an American version of the British sitcom Steptoe and Son. The result was Sanford and Son, which aired on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977, a six-year run.
Foxx played Fred G. Sanford, a widowed junk dealer in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Fred was a man in his 60s, yet Foxx was only 48 when filming began. His son Lamont, played by Demond Wilson, kept the household running. Foxx sold the role with catchphrases, body language and facial expressions. Two gags became famous. Fred barked “You big dummy!” when Lamont annoyed him. He also faked heart attacks, clutching his chest and calling out to his late wife Elizabeth.
The show won Foxx a Golden Globe, plus three more Globe nominations and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He also used his pull to find work for friends, including LaWanda Page, who played his rival Aunt Esther, and Pat Morita.
Trouble came behind the scenes. In 1974, Tandem Productions sued Foxx for $10 million after he skipped the start of taping for a new season. A dispute with the producers over the show’s direction led him to leave in 1977, and the NBC series ended with him. He left to star in a short-lived ABC variety show. In 1980 he returned as Fred in a spin-off called Sanford.
Redd Foxx Film, Television, and Comedy Albums
Foxx’s screen work as a television actor ran for three decades. His record catalog of albums and other recordings is even larger, including the Laff of the Party volumes from the 1950s.
| Title | Year | Format |
| All the Fine Young Cannibals | 1960 | Film (small, uncredited role) |
| Cotton Comes to Harlem | 1970 | Film |
| Sanford and Son | 1972–1977 | NBC sitcom |
| Norman… Is That You? | 1976 | Film |
| The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour | 1977–78 | Variety series |
| Sanford | 1980–81 | Spin-off sitcom |
| The Redd Foxx Show | 1986 | ABC series |
| Harlem Nights | 1989 | Film with Eddie Murphy |
| The Royal Family | 1991 | Sitcom |
Not every project lasted. The Redd Foxx Show was canceled after 12 episodes because of low ratings. His last sitcom, The Royal Family, paired him with Della Reese. In Harlem Nights, written, directed and produced by Eddie Murphy, Foxx played Bennie Wilson. He even slipped a joke into a Donny & Marie special, mentioning a planet called Sanford that has no sun.
Redd Foxx Legacy, Awards, and Cultural Impact
Foxx died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, on October 11, 1991, after collapsing while rehearsing The Royal Family. He was 68. In 1992, St. Louis gave him a posthumous star on its Walk of Fame. Comedy Central ranked him 24th among the 100 greatest stand-ups in 2004.
His influence on generations of comics is easy to trace, and his name still turns up in popular culture. Richard Pryor and Chris Rock both credited him. Jamie Foxx took his stage surname as a tribute, and Pat Morita named Foxx his mentor. An episode of Everybody Hates Chris even shows young Chris Rock retelling jokes he heard on his parents’ Redd Foxx albums. Murphy later called Foxx the most naturally funny person he had ever met.
Money problems shadowed his last years. He filed for bankruptcy in 1983, and in 1989 the IRS seized his Las Vegas home and seven vehicles over unpaid taxes. Reports say he owed more than $3.6 million when he died. His longtime friend Eddie Murphy paid for his burial.
Conclusion
Behind the name Redd Foxx stood John Elroy Sanford, a Chicago dishwasher who became a Las Vegas headliner and a TV star. His records opened doors for later comics, and Fred Sanford became one of television’s best-known junk dealers. Whichever John E. Sanford you came looking for, the comedian is the one most people mean.
FAQs
Who is John E. Sanford?
Several people share the name. Most searches point to the comedian Redd Foxx, whose birth name was John Elroy Sanford.
Why did John Elroy Sanford use the name Redd Foxx?
His reddish hair earned him the nickname “Chicago Red.” Later, as a struggling performer in New York City, he adopted Redd Foxx as his stage name.
What is Redd Foxx best known for?
He is best known as Fred G. Sanford on Sanford and Son. He was also a stand-up comedian who recorded dozens of party records and starred in The Royal Family.
When did Sanford and Son air on TV?
It ran on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. That is six seasons.
How did Redd Foxx die?
He suffered a heart attack on the set of The Royal Family on October 11, 1991, and died hours later in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 68.
