actors & performers

‘Sanford and Son’ Star Demond Wilson Dead at 79, Report Says

Demond Wilson, known for his role as Lamont Sanford on the classic sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has passed away at 79 from cancer complications. He contributed significantly to television and film, also serving as an ordained minister. Wilson is survived by his wife and six children.

Published

4 months ago

February 1, 2026

Rod Washington, Daily News Staff

Last Updated on February 1, 2026 by Daily News Staff

HOLLYWOOD — Demond Wilson, best known for playing Lamont Sanford opposite Redd Foxx on the 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has died, according to TMZ. He was 79.

Demond Wilson, who played Lamont Sanford on the classic sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has died at 79, according to TMZ. He died in Palm Springs. — Photo of Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford and Demond Wilson as his son, Lamont. The actors portrayed these characters on the television program *Sanford and Son*. Wikipedia

Wilson died Friday morning at his Palm Springs home from complications related to cancer, TMZ reported, citing his son, Demond Wilson Jr. The family did not specify what type of cancer he had. https://stories-this-moment.castos.com/episodes/demond-wilson-dies-in-palm-springs-at-79-tmz-reports

Wilson starred on “Sanford and Son” from 1972 to 1977, playing the grounded, often-exasperated son to Foxx’s junkyard owner Fred Sanford. The show became a defining sitcom of its era, known for Foxx’s catchphrases and Wilson’s straight-man timing.

After “Sanford and Son,” Wilson appeared in series including “Baby … I’m Back,”“The New Odd Couple,”and guest-starred on shows such as “All in the Family,”“The Love Boat,” and “Girlfriends.” His film credits included “The Organization” (1971) and “Me and the Kid” (1993).

Born Grady Demond Wilson in Valdosta, Georgia, on Oct. 13, 1946, he was raised in Harlem and began acting as a child, later studying at the American Community Theater and Hunter College. He also served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968, where he was wounded.

In later years, Wilson became an ordained minister and focused on faith-based outreach and reentry support work, founding Restoration House of America in 1994.

He is survived by his wife of more than 51 years, Cicely Loise Johnston, and their six children.

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