Grady Daymond Wilson, Star of “Sanford and Son,” Passes Away at 79

Grady Daymond Wilson, famous for his role as Lamont Sanford on the beloved ’70s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has passed away at the age of 79. He died at his home in Palm Springs on Friday, with complications from cancer being the cause.

His son, Damond, confirmed the news, expressing heartfelt sentiments: “I loved him. He was a wonderful person.” Wilson is survived by his wife, Cicely Johnson, and six children.

Notably, Wilson was the last surviving member of the original cast of “Sanford and Son,” which aired on NBC. The show ran for six seasons, from 1972 to 1977, and depicted the humorous interactions between Fred G. Sanford, played by Redd Foxx, and his son, Lamont, as they operated a junkyard in Los Angeles.

Redd Foxx died in 1991 at age 68 after experiencing a heart attack while working on the CBS sitcom “The Royal Family.” Other notable cast members have also passed: Whitman Mayo died in 2001 at 70, Don Bexley at 87 in 1997, and LaWanda Page at 81 in 2002. More recently, Nathaniel Taylor passed away in 2019 at 80, while Lynn Hamilton died in 2025 at 95.

Born in Georgia in 1946, Wilson later moved to New York City, where he trained in tap dancing and ballet. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, and after being wounded in Vietnam, he returned to New York and took part in several Broadway productions. Shortly after relocating to Los Angeles, he landed the role that would define his career.

Following “Sanford and Son,” Wilson starred in “The New Odd Couple,” which debuted in 1982 but unfortunately lasted just one season. After that, he stepped back from acting and became an ordained minister.

In his 2009 memoir, Wilson reflected on the significance of “Sanford and Son,” stating, “At the time, Red and I were making history. We were the first black people to appear on television in such a capacity, and it opened the door for all the other shows that would come after us.”