Nipsey Russell
Nipsey Russell | |
|---|---|
 Russell in 1971 | |
| Born | Julius Russell September 15, 1918 Atlanta, Georgia,U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 2005(aged 87) New York City,U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1952–2005 |
Julius"Nipsey"Russell(September 15, 1918 – October 2, 2005)[1][2]was an American entertainer best known for his appearances as a panelist on game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s, includingMatch Game,Password,Hollywood Squares,To Tell the Truth,andPyramid.His appearances were often distinguished by short, humorous poems he recited during the broadcast, which led to his nickname "thepoet laureateof television ". He had one of the leading roles in the film version ofThe Wizas theTin Man.He was a frequent guest on theDean Martin Celebrity Roastseries and often appeared onLate Night with Conan O'Brienduring the program's early years.
Early life[edit]
Julius Russell was born inAtlanta,Georgia. His birthdate is unclear; according to one report his birth certificate was lost.[3]At the time of his 2005 death, friends said he was 80, and that was the age reported in his obituaries.[4]That implies a birth year of 1924 or 1925; theNew York Timesobituary gave his birthdate as October 13, 1924.[5]Federal records suggest that he was born in 1918: Census documents record a Julius Russell in Atlanta aged 1 year 4 months in 1920, consistent with a birthdate in late 1918.[2]The Social Security Death Index lists his birthdate as September 15, 1918.[1]
He acquired the nickname "Nipsey" from his mother, who liked the way it sounded.[5][6]
He went toBooker T. Washington High Schoolin Atlanta, then moved to Cincinnati to live with an aunt during his senior year so that he could establish residency to attend the University of Cincinnati tuition-free.[5]He attended theUniversity of Cincinnatifor one semester in 1936, which is also consistent with a birthdate of 1918, as he would have been 18 and not merely 11 or 12, as he would have been if he had been born in 1924 or 1925.[7]He served as amedicin theUnited States ArmyduringWorld War II,enlisting as a private on June 27, 1941, and returning from Europe in 1945 as asecond lieutenant.[8][9]
He got his start as a comedian in the 1940s as acarhopat the Atlanta drive-inThe Varsity,where he increased the tips he earned by making customers laugh. He was discovered after he began performing in nightclubs in the 1950s. He subsequently made many "party albums", which were essentially compilations of his stand-up routines.
Early career[edit]
In 1952, Russell joined with film comedianMantan Morelandfor a stage act, replacingBen Carteras Moreland's dapperstraight man.One of their bits was an old routine that Moreland and Carter had performed invaudevilleand inCharlie Chanfilms. In the "interruption routine" (or "incomplete sentences" ) Moreland would engage Russell in conversation, only to be interrupted by Russell, who in turn was interrupted by Moreland:
Moreland: Guess who I saw? I saw old—
Russell: Is he back again? I thought he was—
Moreland: He was, but he got out.
Russell: Is that so?
Moreland: Yeah, he was over—
Russell: Isthatso?
Soon the entire conversation was conducted in incomplete sentences, with each man anticipating or contradicting the other. Their act can be seen in two all-black-cast compilation films,Rhythm and Blues ReviewandRock and Roll Revue;another variation of the "interruption routine", performed byTommy DavidsonandSavion Glover,was featured inSpike Lee's 2000 filmBamboozled.
A September 1957 appearance onThe Ed Sullivan Showled to several guest spots withJack PaaronTheTonight Showand in 1961 a supporting role as a New York policeman, "Andy" Anderson, in the sitcomCar 54, Where Are You?Russell returned to the role in the feature film version ofCar 54, Where Are You?(filmed in 1990, released in 1994), with "Anderson" now serving as the precinct captain.
In 1965, Russell became a co-host ofABC'sLes Crane Show.In 1970, he was a co-star on the ABC sitcomBarefoot in the Park.From 1973 through 1976, he appeared regularly onThe Dean Martin ShowandThe Dean Martin Comedy World.In 1978, he played the Tin Man in thefilm versionofThe WizalongsideDiana RossandMichael Jackson.Scattered appearances on television series followed, as well as occasional guest-host stints onThe Tonight Showduring theJohnny Carsonera. Russell also appeared frequently in Las Vegas, including a series of appearances withSergio Franchiat the Frontier Hotel in 1978 and 1979,[10][11][12]and with Franchi in 1979 at the Sands Hotel Copa Room.[13]He performed at Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello, New York, on January 1, 1977.
Game shows[edit]
Russell became the first black performer to become a regular panelist on a daily network game show when he joined ABC'sMissing Linksin 1964.[14]In 1971, he started as a featured panelist onTo Tell the Truth,which led to his being hired forThe Match GamewhenGoodson-Todman Productionsrevived it two years later. He also served as panelist in 1968 on the syndicated version ofWhat's My Line?ProducerBob Stewartfeatured him regularly as a panelist onPyramidthroughout its 1970s and 1980s runs. He hosted two revivals ofJack Barry and Dan Enright'sJuvenile JuryforBETfrom 1983 to 1984, then again for syndication from 1989 to 1991. In 1983, Russell hosted a pilot game show on CBS calledStar Words.Three pilots were recorded in June of that year but the show was not picked up. In 1985, he hosted the short-livedNBCgame showYour Number's Up,which was produced by Sande Stewart.[15]
Russell’s specialty on game shows was delivering short, humorous poems. He was a regular panelist on a 1970s ABC show,Rhyme and Reason,built around his poetic talents.[16]In 1979, he toldJetmagazine, “I knew two poems and one day, on a show calledMissing Links(Ed McMahonwas the host), I did one poem and everybody applauded. The next day I did the other one I knew. On the third morning, Ed said, ‘And now Nipsey’s poem.’ I didn’t really know any more poems, but I realized that this was a winning gimmick – that people liked this. So I went home to see if I could create them and found that I could. And that’s how I started. I actually stumbled into it on the air.”[17]
Later career and death[edit]
During the 1990s, Russell gained popularity with a new generation of television viewers as a regular onLate Night with Conan O'Brien.Russell often appeared during comedy sketches between scheduled guests and delivered his trademark rhymes.
Russell's final TV appearance was as a panelist on a game show–themed week on the final season of theTom Bergeronversion ofHollywood Squaresin 2003.
Russell died on October 2, 2005, at age 87 in New York City, of cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Atlantic Ocean.
References[edit]
- ^abNipsey J. Russell, born September 15, 1918, died October 2, 2005. Social Security Administration.Social Security Death Index(Death Master File).
- ^abU.S. Census, January 1, 1920, state of Georgia, county of DeKalb, city of Atlanta, enumeration district 180, page 4-A, family 75, Julius Russell, age 1 year 4 months.
- ^"Nipsey Russell".Biography.com.RetrievedApril 1,2019.
- ^Grace, Francie (October 4, 2005)."Actor Nipsey Russell Dead At 80".CBS News.RetrievedApril 1,2019.
- ^abcWatkins, Mel (October 4, 2005)."Nipsey Russell, a Comic With a Gift for Verse, Dies at 80".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 1,2019.
- ^Holley, Joe (October 4, 2005)."Actor Nipsey Russell Dead At 80".Washington Post.RetrievedMarch 22,2022.
- ^Gail Fredensborg, Associate Registrar, University of Cincinnati, January 9, 2006.
- ^National Archives and Records Administration.U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946[database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005.
- ^Passenger list of the S.S.General Harry Taylor,Port of New York, September 13, 1945, p. 233.
- ^Entertainment in Las Vegas. (September 1, 1978).Seattle Daily Times,Seattle, Washington
- ^Entertainment in Las Vegas. (January 14, 1979).Seattle Daily Times,Seattle, Washington
- ^Entertainment in Las Vegas. (May 18, 1979).Seattle Daily Times,Seattle, Washington
- ^Entertainment in Las Vegas. (February 15, 1979).Seattle Daily Times,Seattle, Washington
- ^"Nipsey Russell".Britannica.RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
- ^Eakin, Marah; Teti, John; Adams, Erik (June 16, 2014)."Bonus round stars: 9 celebrities who found their greatest fame on game shows".The A.V. Club.RetrievedJune 20,2014.
- ^Lisa Kristoff (April 18, 2018)."William T. Naud, the game show guy".Boothbay Register.RetrievedJune 19,2020.
- ^"Nipsey Russell Reveals How He Became a Poet".Jet.December 20, 1979.RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
External links[edit]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1918 births
- 2005 deaths
- 20th-century African-American writers
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- African-American male actors
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- African Americans in World War II
- American game show hosts
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- Comedians from Atlanta
- Deaths from stomach cancer in New York (state)
- Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state)
- United States Army officers
- United States Army personnel of World War II