Wilson died Friday at his home in Palm Springs, California, from complications related to cancer, his son Demond Wilson Jr. told TMZ.
Wilson’s portrayal of Lamont — the patient, often exasperated son of junk dealer Fred G. Sanford — made him a household name and cemented his place in television history. For six seasons, viewers watched as Lamont endured his father’s schemes, insults and signature greeting: “Hey, Dummy.”
His path to Sanford and Son began with a standout guest appearance on All in the Family. In a 1971 episode titled “Edith Writes a Song,” Wilson and actor Cleavon Little played burglars who take the Bunker family hostage. The performance caught the attention of producers and led directly to Wilson being cast as Lamont Sanford.
Developed by producer Bud Yorkin and based on the British comedy Steptoe and Son, Sanford and Son premiered on NBC on Jan. 14, 1972, as a midseason replacement. Airing on Friday nights, the series quickly became a ratings powerhouse, routinely beating competitors like The Brady Bunch and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. It ranked No. 2 nationally during the 1972-73 and 1974-75 seasons and remained a top-10 show for most of its run.
Wilson later recalled that he initially hesitated to take the role. In the 2011 book Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story, he said he and Foxx believed the show might provide quick exposure before they moved on to other projects. Instead, it became one of the most influential sitcoms of its era.
In 1974, Wilson carried the series when Foxx temporarily left due to a contract dispute, with the show writing Fred Sanford out as attending a funeral in St. Louis. Foxx returned but ultimately departed for good after the 1976-77 season to pursue a short-lived ABC variety show. Wilson declined an offer to continue Sanford and Son alone.
He went on to star in CBS’ Baby… I’m Back and later appeared opposite Ron Glass in The New Odd Couple, though neither series had long runs. During the 1980s, Wilson overcame cocaine addiction, sold his Beverly Hills home and was ordained as an interdenominational minister, later saying that preaching gave him greater fulfillment than fame ever had.
Born Grady Demond Wilson on Oct. 13, 1946, in Valdosta, Georgia, he was raised in Harlem and began performing at an early age. He appeared on Broadway at age 4, danced at the Apollo Theater as a child and later studied acting before serving in the U.S. Army, where he was wounded during the Vietnam War.
In later years, Wilson appeared on UPN’s Girlfriends and wrote the 2009 memoir Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memories of the Sanford & Son Years. He married Cicely Johnston in 1974, and the couple had six children.
Wilson leaves behind a legacy as a pioneering television actor whose work helped reshape American sitcoms and opened doors for generations that followed.