Flip Wilson

Born on December 8, 1933, Clerow Wilson Jr., better known to us today as "Flip Wilson" was an actor and comedian, who Time magazine once featured on the cover of their magazine calling him "TV's first black superstar".

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he was one of 18 children in an impoverished household, and after years of bouncing from foster homes to reform school, the 16-year-old Wilson lied about his age and joined the United States Air Force. Becoming popular with his outgoing personality and funny stories he was asked to tour military bases to cheer up other servicemen. It was during his stint in the military that he acquired the nickname "Flip" that he is so familiar by today, his barracks mates actually could be given credit for the name, claiming that he was always "flipped out".

Discharged from the United States Air Force in 1954, Wilson started working as a bellhop in San Francisco's Manor Plaza Hotel, where in the hotel's nightclub he found extra work playing a drunken customer in between the regularly scheduled acts. The character soon became so popular that he began performing it in clubs throughout California.

Wilson even managed to get jobs at various comedy clubs using his nickname, "Flip". At first he would simply ad-lib on-stage, and in time, 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 a stand-up comedy routine "Columbus," from Wilson's album Cowboys and Colored People, he re-tells the story of Christopher Columbus from a slightly 'urban' perspective, in which Columbus finally convinces the Spanish monarchs to fund his voyage by noting that discovering America means that he can thus also discover Ray Charles. Hearing this, Queen Isabella, sounding a lot like his popular drag character "Geraldine," says that "Chris" can have "all the money you want, Honey — You go find Ray Charles!!" When Columbus departs from the dock, Isabella is there, testifying to one and all that "Chris gonna find Ray Charles!!" It was this wildly popular album and routine that ultimately garnered Wilson his own television variety show when in 1970 NBC premiered "The Flip Wilson Show".

Wilson played host to many African-American entertainers and performed in comedy sketches. He greeted all his guests with the "Flip Wilson Handshake," which started with hand slaps and progressed to hip-bumps. George Carlin was one of the show's writers along with him. His characters included "Reverend Leroy", pastor of the "Church of What’s Happening Now"; and his drag alter-ego "Geraldine", whose line “The devil made me do it” became a national expression.

The show aired through 1974, generating high ratings and popularity among viewers and winning strong critical acclaim, with 11 Emmy nominations, ( and two wins) and a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series during its run. In 1970, "Flip" won a Grammy Award for his comedy album, "The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress".

Wilson made many guest appearances on other TV comedies and variety shows, such as Here's Lucy starring Lucille Ball and The Dean Martin Show among others. Ed Sullivan gave Wilson numerous guest shots on his popular Sunday night show, and Wilson would single out Sullivan as providing his biggest career boost. Wilson acted in TV and theatrical movies including Uptown Saturday Night and The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh.

From 1985 to 1986, Wilson played the lead role in the CBS sitcom Charlie & Co.

Wilson is one of very few celebrities to become an FAA certified Hot Air Balloon Pilot. Before becoming ill he was an active lighter-than-air pilot. He died from complications due to liver cancer in Malibu, California, at the age of 64.