Sitcom legend Grady Demond Wilson, who largely went by simply Demond Wilson throughout his career, has died at age 79, his family confirmed, closing the chapter on a career that helped reshape television comedy in the 1970s.
Wilson, best known for his role as Lamont Sanford on NBC’s “Sanford and Son,” died Friday at his home in Palm Springs, California. His son, Demond Wilson Jr., confirmed the news to TMZ and said his father passed away following a battle with cancer. No further details about the diagnosis were shared.
“I love him. He was a great man,” Wilson Jr. said.
Wilson starred opposite Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son from 1972 to 1977, playing the quick-witted son to Foxx’s famously cantankerous Fred Sanford. The show became one of NBC’s biggest hits and remains a cornerstone of classic television.
Reflecting on the series years later, Wilson acknowledged its cultural impact. “Redd and I were making history back in those days,” he wrote in his 2009 autobiography. “We were the first Blacks to be on television in that capacity, and we opened the door for all those other shows that came after us.”
After “Sanford and Son,” Wilson continued working steadily, appearing in “Baby… I’m Back!,” “The New Odd Couple,” and the 1993 film “Me and the Kid.” He later stepped away from acting for nearly two decades before returning for his final screen role in the 2023 drama Eleanor’s Bench.
Beyond Hollywood, Wilson was a Vietnam War veteran and became an ordained Christian minister in the 1980s. He founded the Restoration House of America, focused on helping formerly incarcerated people reenter society, and authored several faith-based books and a memoir.
Wilson is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, former model Cicely Johnston, and their six children. Fans across generations have shared tributes, remembering both his humor and his impact on television history.
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