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Bill Cosby
Birth nameWilliam Henry Cosby, Jr.
Born (1937-07-12) July 12, 1937 (age 87)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
MediumStand-up, film, television, print
NationalityAfrican-American
Years active1962–present
GenresObservational comedy, Improvisational comedy,
Physical comedy
Subject(s)Childhood, Family, Parenting, Marriage, Aging, Everyday life
SpouseCamille Hanks (1964–present) (5 children)
Notable works and rolesAlexander Scott in I Spy
Host and voices in Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Himself in Bill Cosby: Himself
Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable in The Cosby Show
Websitewww.BillCosby.com

William Henry Cosby, Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a vanguard role in the 1960s action show I Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show, in the late 1960s. He was one of the major characters on the children's television show The Electric Company for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films.

During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered one of the decade's defining sitcoms, The Cosby Show, which lasted eight seasons from 1984 to 1992, and is still in syndication. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper middle-class African-American family.

In the 1990s, Cosby starred in Cosby, which first aired in 1996; hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things, which began in 1998; and appeared in a number of movies. He has also appeared on the stand-up circuit.

His good-natured, fatherly image has made him a popular personality and garnered him the nickname of "America's Dad". He has also been a sought-after spokesman and over the years has plugged numerous products including Jell-O Pudding, Kodak Film, Ford, Texas Instruments and Coca-Cola (as well as New Coke).

Early life

Bill Cosby was born and raised between both North & Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods. Cosby was the son of Anna Pearl (née Hite), a maid, and William Henry Cosby, Sr., a cook for the U.S. navy. He was one of four brothers. During much of his early childhood, Cosby's father was away in the US armed forces and spent several years fighting in World War II. As a student, he described himself as a class clown. Cosby was the captain of the baseball and track & field teams at Mary Channing Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia, as well as the class president. Early on, though, teachers noted his propensity for clowning around rather than studying. At Glynn Academy, Cosby began acting in plays as well as continuing his devotion to playing sports. He went on to Central High School, an academically challenging magnet school, but his full schedule of playing football, basketball, baseball, and running track made it hard for him. In addition, Cosby was working before and after school, selling produce, shining shoes, and stocking shelves at a supermarket to help out the family. He transferred to Germantown High School, but failed the tenth grade. Instead of repeating, he got a job as an apprentice at a shoe repair shop, which he liked, but could not see himself doing the rest of his life. Subsequently, he joined the Navy, serving at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland and at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

While serving in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman for four years, Cosby worked in physical therapy with some seriously injured Korean War casualties, which helped him discover what was important to him. He immediately realized the need for an education, and finished his equivalency diploma via correspondence courses. He then won a track and field scholarship to Philadelphia's Temple University in 1961-62, and studied physical education while running track and playing fullback on the football team. Cosby also joined the school's chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Even as he progressed through his undergraduate studies, Cosby had continued to hone his talent for humor, joking with fellow enlistees in the service and then with college friends. When he began bar tending at the Cellar, a club in Philadelphia, to earn money, he became fully aware of his ability to make people laugh. He worked his customers and saw his tips increase, then ventured on to the stage.

Cosby left Temple to pursue a career in comedy, though he would return to collegiate studies in the 1970s. He lined up gigs at clubs in Philadelphia and soon was off to New York City, where he appeared at the Gaslight Cafe starting in 1962. He was discovered by actor Carl Reiner, who enjoyed Cosby's brand of humor, and his career took off quickly. He lined up dates in Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Washington DC, among others. He received national exposure on NBC's Tonight Show in the summer of 1963 and released Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right!, the first of a series of popular comedy albums in 1964.

While many comics were using the growing freedom of that decade to explore controversial, sometimes risqué material, Cosby was making his reputation with humorous recollections of his childhood. Many Americans wondered about the absence of race as a topic in Cosby's stories. As Cosby's success grew he had to defend his choice of material regularly; as he argued, "A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that we are alike...So I figure I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy."

I Spy

In 1965, Cosby achieved a first for African-Americans when he costarred with Robert Culp in I Spy, an adventure show in the James Bond-style. But Cosby's presence as the first black star of a dramatic television series made I Spy unique; Cosby and NBC executives were concerned that some affiliates might be unwilling to carry the series. At the beginning of the 1965 season, however, only four stations--in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama--declined the show. But the rest of the country was taken with the show's exotic locales and the authentic chemistry of the stars, and it became one of the ratings hits of that television season. I Spy finished among the twenty most-watched shows that year, and Cosby was honored with three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Although ostensibly focused on Culp's character, the show had clearly become a vehicle for his co-star.

Yet throughout the series' three-year run Cosby was repeatedly confronted with the question of race. For him it was enough that I Spy portrayed two men who worked as equals despite their different races; but critics took the show to task for not having a black character engage the racial issues that inflamed the country at that time. Cosby was relieved when the series ended, enabling him to concentrate on his family and to return to live performing.

During the run of the series, Cosby continued to do stand-up comedy performances and released a half-dozen record albums. He also began to dabble in singing, recording Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings in 1967 which provided him with a hit single with his recording of "Li'l Ole Man". He would record several more musical albums into the early 1970s, but his recordings primiarly continued to be of his stand-up comedy work.

The Cosby Show and the 1980s

Cosby's greatest television success came in September, 1984 with the debut of The Cosby Show. The program aired weekly on NBC and went on to become the highest ranking sitcom of all time. For Cosby, the new situation comedy was a response to the increasingly violent and vulgar fare the networks usually offered. Cosby is an advocate for humor that is both humorous and family-oriented. He insisted on and received total creative control of the series, and he was involved in every aspect of the series. Not surprisingly, the show had parallels to Cosby's actual family life: like the characters Cliff and Claire Huxtable, Cosby and his wife Camille were college educated, financially successful, and had five children. Essentially a throwback to the wholesome family situation comedy, The Cosby Show was unprecedented in its portrayal of an intelligent, affluent, nonstereotypical African-American family.

Much of the material from the pilot and first season of The Cosby Show was taken from his then popular video Bill Cosby: Himself, released in 1983. The series was an immediate success, debuting near the top of the ratings and staying there for most of its long run. No series has ever come close to the Cosby Show's record of five straight seasons as the number one show in America. People magazine called the show "revolutionary", and Newsday concurred that it was a "real breakthrough."

In 1987, Cosby attempted to return to the big screen with the spy spoof Leonard Part 6. Unfortunately, although Cosby himself was producer and wrote the story, he realized during production that the film was not going to be what he wanted and publicly denounced it, warning audiences to "stay away".

In the 1990s and 2000s

File:Bill.JPG
Bill Cosby's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

After The Cosby Show went off the air in 1992, Cosby embarked on a number of other projects, including a notably scripted revival of the classic Groucho Marx game show You Bet Your Life (1992-1993) along with the ill-fated TV-movie I Spy Returns (1994) and The Cosby Mysteries (1994). In the mid-1990s, he appeared as a detective in black and white film noir-themed commercials for Turner Classic Movies. He also made appearances in three more films, Ghost Dad (1990), The Meteor Man (1993); and Jack (1996); in addition to being interviewed in Spike Lee's 4 Little Girls (1997), a documentary about the racist bombing of a Birmingham, Alabama, church in 1963. Also in 1996, he started up a new show for CBS, Cosby, again co-starring Phylicia Rashad, his onscreen wife on The Cosby Show. Cosby co-produced the show for Carsey-Werner Productions. The show was based on a cynical British program called One Foot in the Grave, but Cosby lightened the humor. It centered on Cosby as Hilton Lucas, an iconoclastic senior citizen who tries to find a new job after being "downsized", and in the meantime, gets on his wife's nerves. Madeline Kahn costarred as Rashād's goofy business partner. Cosby was hired by CBS to be the official "spokesman" for the WWJ-TV during an advertising campaign from 1995-1998. In addition, Cosby in 1998 became the host of Kids Say the Darndest Things. After four solid seasons, Kids Say the Darndest Things was canceled. The last episode aired April 28, 2000. Cosby continued to work with CBS through a development deal and other projects.

A series for preschoolers, Little Bill, made its debut on Nickelodeon in 1999. The network renewed the popular program in November 2000. In 2001, at an age when many give serious consideration to retirement, Cosby's agenda included the publication of a new book, as well as delivering the commencement addresses at Morris Brown College and at Ohio State University. Also that year, he signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop a live-action feature film centering on the popular Fat Albert character from his 1970s cartoon series. Fat Albert was released in theaters in December 2004. In May 2007 he spoke at the Commencement of High Point University.

Personal life

Cosby met his wife Camille Hanks while he was performing stand-up in Washington, D.C., in the early 1960s, and she was a student at the University of Maryland. They married on January 25, 1964, and had five children: daughters Erika Ranee (b. 1965), Erinn Chalene (b. 1966), Ensa Camille (b. 1973), and Evin Harrah (b. 1976), and son Ennis William (1969-1997). His son Ennis was shot to death while changing a flat tire on the side of the Interstate 405 in Los Angeles on January 16, 1997.

Bill Cosby is an active alumni supporter of his alma mater, Temple University, and in particular their men's basketball team, whose games Cosby frequently attends (particularly during the team's glory days under coach John Chaney, who is a close friend of Cosby).

Cosby is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan. Recently, when both the Eagles' starting and backup quarterbacks were injured, Cosby sent some of his old football gear to head coach Andy Reid, joking he was ready to play if needed.

Cosby also attends many public events, such as the 100th Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 2, 2007. His love for track has also been shown with his long time sponsorship, and on-track work with the Penn Relays. For many years, Cosby has been known to work the finish line at Franklin Field and congratulate athletes. In 1988, Cosby ran the anchor leg at Penn in a two team race on a 4x400 relay. In a unique twist, Cosby's team was far ahead and his premature celebration was broken when Olympic medalist Valerie Brisco-Hooks, the other team's anchor leg, patted him on the "boom-boom" and passed him en route to victory. The event ended up as a scene on the Cosby Show showing Cosby, as Dr. Huxtable, losing an important grudge match race against the team of former college rival Col. Sanford "Tailwind" Turner (USMC).

Cosby enjoys cigars, a hobby he picked up from Groucho Marx, one of his comedy influences.

Cosby is also a noted pen collector, and often frequents several well-known fountain pen stores; he is the spokesperson for Fountain Pen Hospital.

Cosby maintains homes in Shelburne, Massachusetts and Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

Bill Cosby also has been hosting the Los Angeles Playboy Jazz Festival since 1979.

The Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles 2007. Bill Cosby is on stage.
This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (August 2008)

The Pound Cake speech and other comments on moral values

Main article: Pound Cake speech

In May 2004 after receiving an award at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that outlawed school segregation, Cosby made public remarks critical of African Americans who put higher priorities on sports, fashion, and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement. He has made a plea for African American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of American culture (Baker). According to the Washington Times, he has had a long history of endeavors to advance African Americans (DeBose, Brian).

In "Pound Cake", Cosby, whose doctorate degree is in education, asked that African American parents begin teaching their children better morals at a younger age. He directed this address to the leaders in the lower and middle economic classes of the African-American community (see main article). Cosby told reporters of the Washington Times, "Parenting needs to come to the forefront. If you need help and you don't know how to parent, we want to be able to reach out and touch" (DeBose, Brian). Richard Leiby of the Washington Post reported, "Bill Cosby was anything but politically correct in his remarks Monday night at a Constitution Hall bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision."

Cosby again came under sharp criticism, and again he was largely unapologetic for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech in a July 1 Rainbow Coalition meeting commemorating the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. During that speech, he admonished blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counter-productive aspirations. He further described those who needed attention as "blacks had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the Civil Rights Movement." The talk was interrupted several times by applause and received praise from leaders such as Jesse Jackson.

As of 2008 Cosby continues to lecture to black communities (usually at churches) about his frustrations with certain problems prevalent in underprivileged urban communities such as taking part in illegal drugs, teenage pregnancy, Black Entertainment Television, high school dropouts, anti-intellectualism, gangsta rap, vulgarity, thievery, offensive clothing, vanity, parental alienation, single parenting and failing to live up to the ideals of Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the African American ancestors that preceded Generation X. Cosby criticizes African Americans that associate his ideals with race treachery.

Albums

Books

  • Fatherhood (1986) - ISBN 0-425-09772-2
  • Time Flies (1987) - ISBN 0-553-27724-3
  • Love and Marriage (1989) - ISBN 0-553-28467-3
  • Childhood (1991) - ISBN 0-399-13647-9
  • Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998) - ISBN 0-553-58126-0
  • Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates (1999) - ISBN 0-7868-6572-5
  • American Schools: The 100 Billion Dollar Challenge (2000) - ISBN 0-7595-5000-X (with Dwight Allen Ed.D.)
  • Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy (2001) - ISBN 0-7868-6810-4
  • I Am What I Ate...and I'm Frightened!!! (2003) - ISBN 0-06-054573-9
  • Friends of a Feather (2003) - ISBN 0-06-009147-9
  • Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors (2007) - ISBN 1-59-555092-5 (with Alvin F. Poussaint M.D.)

References

  1. Welkos, Robert W. (2007-07-24). "Funny, that was my joke". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-05-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. Bill Cosby Biography (1937-)
  3. A Glimpse at Bill Cosby's Virginia Roots
  4. "Bill Cosby Trivia". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  5. "Bill Cosby and Me - Behind the Lens". 9-11-2007. Retrieved 2008-05-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Bill Cosby Biography". Buzzle.com. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  7. William Morris Agency, retrieved May 31, 2006
  8. ^ "Transition Profile — Bill Cosby". Veterans Careers. Military.com. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  9. Kennedy Center, retrieved May 31, 2006
  10. ESPER, retrieved May 31, 2006
  11. Verve Records, retrieved May 31, 2006
  12. Leonard Part 6 (1987)
  13. Celebrating honors and achievements "Commencement 2007- Carnegie Mellon University"
  14. Yale Bulletin and Calendar Vol 31, No 31. June 6, 2003.
  15. http://www.haverford.edu/commencement/cosby.htm
  16. "BIOGRAPHY OF BILL COSBY". John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  17. "Retiring College President Lee Eliot Berk and Bill Cosby Honored at Berklee College of Music's 2004 Commencement" (Press release). Berklee College of Music. 2004-05-08. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
General References
  • DeBose, Brian (September 9, 2004). ""Cosby urges leaders to aid black families"". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
  • Leiby, Richard. "Publications with a Cannes-Do Attitude." Washington Post. May 19, 2004: 3.
  • Morano, Marc. "Bill Cosby was hounded by President Nixon." World Entertainment News Network. May 1, 2000. 2 Mar 2006. www.imdb.com
  • "Segregated Expectations" USA Today. May 15, 2003: 12.
  • Wu, Frank H. "Brown at 50: Keeping Promises." Black Issues in Higher Education. May 20, 2004: 49
  • "Biography — William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr". Biographies in Naval History. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. June 22, 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-04.

External links

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Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1954–1975
1976–2000
2001–present

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