Grady Demond Wilson, 'Sanford and Son' Star, Dies At 79

Grady Demond Wilson, best known for his role as Lamont Sanford on the hit 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, has died. According to reports, Grady Demond Wilson died of cancer at his home in California.

TMZ broke the news of Grady Demond Wilson’s passing, who professionally went by his middle name during his acting career. From 1972 to 1977, Wilson was one of the main cast members on NBC’s hit sitcom Sanford and Son, playing the wayward but well-meaning Lamont Sanford against Redd Foxx’s cantankerous junkyard owner, Fred Sanford.

Wilson went on to star in the sitcom Baby…I’m Back, and later starred in The New Odd Couple. Wilson acted in small roles on film and television, and later moved to becoming an ordained minister in 1984. Wilson also starred in the sitcom Girlfriends.

Wilson also authored Christian books focused on the New Age Movement, along with faith-based children’s books. He also penned a memoir, Second Banana: The Bittersweet Memoirs of the Sanford & Son Years, in 2009.

In interviews, it didn’t appear that he had a close relationship with Foxx after the comedian abruptly left the show over a bitter contract dispute. In a 2014 interview, Wilson felt blindsided by Foxx’s decision and the fact he didn’t inform him beforehand.

In 2023, Wilson’s last acting credit was on Eleanor’s Bench.

Grady Demond Wilson was 79.

See social media celebrating Wilson’s life below.