Nipsey Russell
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Julius "Nipsey" Russell (September 15, 1918 [1] – October 2, 2005) was an African American comedian, best known for being a guest panelist on many 1970s and 1980s game shows, such as Match Game, Password, Hollywood Squares, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid. In addition to his sharp game-playing skills, Russell also delighted audiences with short poems.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Russell went to Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta and attended the University of Cincinnati for one semester in 1936.[2] He served in the United States Army during World War II, enlisting as a private on June 27, 1941. [3]
He got his start in the 1940s as a car hop at the Atlanta drive-in The Varsity, where he would earn his tips by making his customers laugh. He moved his act to nightclubs in the 1950s, when he was discovered and subsequently made many "party albums", which were essentially a compilation of his stand-up routines, not unlike what Redd Foxx was doing at the very same time.
In the late 1950s, he was featured on The Ed Sullivan Show, which led to a small part in the comedy Car 54, Where Are You? in 1960. Russell became the first black performer to become a regular panelist on a weekly network game show when he joined ABC's Missing Links in 1964. A year later, he became a co-host of ABC's Les Crane Show. During the 1970s, he was a co-star in the ABC sitcom Barefoot in the Park and appeared regularly on The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Comedy World. Scattered appearances on television series followed, as well as performing guest host duties on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson era.
In 1971, he started as a featured panelist on To Tell the Truth, which led to him being hired for The Match Game when Goodson-Todman Productions revived it two years later. He also served as panelist on the 1968 revival of What's My Line? Today, he is most known for these game show appearances — not only for his wit, but his seriousness in playing the games (or in Truth's case, questioning the civilian contestants). Producer Bob Stewart used him regularly as a panelist on Pyramid throughout its 1970s and 80s runs. Russell would also host the short lived 1985 game show Your Number's Up as well as the early 80s revival of Juvenile Jury.
He was also a trained dancer, and appeared in the 1978 film The Wiz as the Tin Man.
During the 1990s Mr. Russell gained popularity with a new generation of television viewer as a regular "character" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Russell would often appear during comedy sketches between scheduled guests and deliver his trademark rhymes.
He died October 2, 2005 in New York City, after suffering from stomach cancer.
[edit] References
- ^ Nipsey J. Russell, Social Security no. 269-01-8034, born 15 September 1918, died 2 October 2005. Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index (Death Master File). U.S. Census, 1 January 1920, state of Georgia, county of De Kalb, city of Atlanta, enumeration district 180, page 4-A, family 75, Julius Russell, age 1 year 2 months.
- ^ Gail Fredensborg, Associate Registrar, University of Cincinnati, 9 January 2006.
- ^ National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005.
[edit] External links
- IMDb page
- CBS 2: Nipsey Russell Dies At 82
- Rhyming Funnyman Nipsey Russell Dies - The Washington Post
- Nipsey Russell, a Comic With a Gift for Verse, Dies at 80 - The New York Times
- A Tribute to Comedian Nipsey Russell - audio clip from NPR's All Things Considered, October 4, 2005
Categories: 1918 births | 2005 deaths | African-American actors | American comedians | American dancers | American game show hosts | American film actors | American poets | American stage actors | American television actors | American television personalities | American military personnel of World War II | Stomach cancer deaths | People from Atlanta
