Actor Damond Wilson Passes Away at 79

Damond Wilson, who gained fame as Lamont Sanford in the beloved 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, has died at the age of 79. He passed away on Friday at his home in Southern California, near Palm Springs, due to complications from cancer, as confirmed by his publicist, Mark Goldman.

Goldman expressed his sorrow, stating, “I had the privilege of working with Mr. Damond for 15 years, and his passing is felt deeply. He was an incredible man. His impact will never be forgotten.”

Wilson was in his 20s when he took on the role of Lamont, a calm counterbalance to his on-screen father Fred Sanford, portrayed by Redd Foxx. While Foxx delivered many of the series’ iconic lines, Wilson provided a more subdued yet powerful performance that encapsulated their father-son relationship. In his 2009 memoir, Second Banana: A Bittersweet Memoir of the Sanford and Son Era, he reflected on his experiences during the show.

Created by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, Sanford and Son was based on the British series Steptoe and Son and broke new ground for its honest depiction of African American family life on television. Yorkin noted in a 2008 interview how fascinating he found the dynamics between the father and son, emphasizing that their knack for annoyance didn’t undermine their reliance on one another.

After the series concluded, Wilson didn’t slow down; he continued to find work in both television and film. He headlined the late 1970s sitcom Baby… I’m Back! and appeared in the adaptation of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. His film credits include Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), Organized Crime (1971), Full Moon High (1981), and Hammerlock (2000).

Born in 1946 in Valdosta, Georgia, Wilson was raised in a working-class Catholic family in Harlem. He began studying dance as a child, had a stint on Broadway, and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After his service, he transitioned to various theater productions before landing his iconic role in Sanford and Son in 1972.

Religion was a cornerstone of Wilson’s life. After a near-fatal ruptured appendix at age 12, he turned towards Christianity and became a Pentecostal minister in the 1980s. Throughout his career, he managed to balance his acting with preaching and authored several books, including New Age Millennium: Symbols, Slogans, and Hidden Agenda Revealed, which criticized aspects of the New Age movement and Freemasonry from a Christian view.

He is survived by his wife, Cicely Johnston, six children, and two grandchildren. In a statement, his son, Damond Wilson Jr., described his father as a “devoted father, actor, author, and pastor,” stating, “Damon lived a life rooted in faith, service, and compassion. Through his film work, writing, and service, he sought to uplift others and leave a meaningful impact on the communities he served.”