Flip Wilson
| Flip Wilson | |
|---|---|
(1969)
|
|
| Birth name | Clerow Wilson, Jr. |
| Born |
December 8, 1933 Jersey City, New Jersey, United States |
| Died | November 25, 1998 (aged 64) Malibu, California, United States |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1963–97 |
| Spouse |
Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson nee Dean (m. 1957; div. 1967) Tuanchai MacKenzie (m. 1979; div. 1984) |
| Notable works and roles | The Flip Wilson Show |
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an African American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show. The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards.
In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's image on its cover and named him "TV's first black superstar".
Born Clerow Wilson Jr. in Jersey City, New Jersey, he was one of ten children born to Cornelia Bullock and Clerow Wilson Sr. (Wilson once told Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show that his mother had 24 pregnancies and that he was one of 18 living children.) His father worked as a handyman but, because of the Great Depression, was often out of work. When Wilson was seven years old, his mother abandoned the family. His father was unable to care for the children alone and he placed many of them in foster homes. After bouncing from foster homes to reform school, 16-year-old Wilson lied about his age and joined the United States Air Force. His outgoing personality and funny stories made him popular; he was even asked to tour military bases to cheer up other servicemen. Claiming that he was always "flipped out," Wilson's barracks mates gave him the nickname "Flip" which he used as his stage name. Discharged from the Air Force in 1954, Wilson started working as a bellhop in San Francisco's Manor Plaza Hotel.
At the Plaza's nightclub, Wilson found extra work playing a drunken patron in between regularly scheduled acts. His inebriated character proved popular and Wilson began performing it in clubs throughout California. At first Wilson would simply ad-lib onstage, but eventually he added written material and his act became more sophisticated.
During the 1960s, Wilson became a regular at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and was a favorite guest on The Tonight Show, Laugh-In, and The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1970, Wilson won a Grammy Award for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress. He was also a regular cast member on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Depatie-Freleng Studios featured Wilson in two TV specials, "Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14" and "Clerow Wilson's Great Escape."
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