Don Bexley

Don Bexley
Bexley as Bubba with Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son, 1976.
Born	(1910-03-10)March 10, 1910 Detroit, Michigan, United States or Jamestown, Virginia, United States (sources differ)
Died	April 15, 1997(1997-04-15) (aged 87) Hampton, Virginia, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–1991

Donald Thomas Bexley (March 10, 1910 – April 15, 1997) was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx)'s friend Bubba Bexley on the 1970s television sitcom Sanford and Son.

Bexley was born on March 10, 1910 in either Jamestown, Virginia or Detroit, Michigan to the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bexley. His father was a Bible scholar and teacher and his mother a classical vocalist. "I was born with a flair for the stage, as I had always been a clown - even during early adolescence," Bexley wrote in 1983.

In his career, Don Bexley has been an orchestra director, singer, dancer, stand-up comedian, and actor.

In the early 1940s, Bexley started doing stand-up comedy in upstate New York. He worked withMilton Berle, Danny Kaye, and Henny Youngman, and danced with Sammy Davis Jr..

Bexley was the first black stand-up comedian to do the hotel circuit in the Mountain Hotel. During his travels, he met many black entertainers, including Redd Foxx. They worked in New York City, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.

He was also a singer and dancer. Early in his career, he performed with a dance group called Three Shades of Rhythm. And before his television debut, he did theater in Los Angeles and New York City.

When Bexley returned from Europe in 1969, he and Foxx were cast together in Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970). Upon Bexley's arrival from Asia in 1971, Foxx sent for him to join in the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son. It was Foxx who convinced Bud Yorkin and Aaron Ruben to hire Bexley to play one of Fred G. Sanford's friends. At the time, Bexley was 62 years old and had never appeared on television before. Bexley gained international popularity for his portrayal as "Bubba" on the series, which is a very successful "rerun sitcom" even today.