Tag Archives: Good Times

Remember “Leon” from “Good Times?” He was one of “J.J.’s” high school friends-turned-hustler, who gave “J.J.” an illegal bookie job after running into him at the unemployment office. Well after “Leon” got shot by the cops in that police raid, actor Grand L. Bush went on to star in many films including “Colors,” “Stir Crazy,” “Demolition Man,””Street Fighter,” “License To Kill” and many more. We were wondering what the brotha was up to nowadays since we hadn’t seen him in a while and what we found was pretty surprising and impressive. Check this out family…

WHAT’S BEEN UP WITH GRAND L. BUSH

Grand L. Bush is 66 years young. In 2003, he officially retired from acting to enter a career field that we would least expect a ‘hustler’ like Leon” (in “Good Times”) or a ‘gangster,’ like “Larry Sylvester” (in “Colors”), to enter. But of course we’re talking about Grand the man, and not the actor. CHECK OUT WHAT HE DOES NOW…

BUSH LOVES HIS CAREER IN THE MEDICAL FIELD

After Grand L. Bush retired from acting he discovered his other passion and attended medical school, graduated in 2010, then became a vascular/abdominal sonographer. In the above photo he’s assisting a vascular surgeon during a laser venous ablation operation. Here’s what was reported:

 Los Angeles, CA — Representatives for Grand L. Bush announced … that the former Hollywood actor has signed with … a Southern California-based company. Bush joins a decorated team of highly-skilled diagnostic medical sonographers, hand-picked to provide hospitals, out-patient medical centers, doctors’ offices and community clinics with state-of-the-art ultrasound services.

Bush … accepted a contract with [the imaging company], after receiving notable certifications from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and demonstrating his skills in person. Source

GRAND WAS AWARDED FOR SAVING SHOOTING VICTIM

Grand is a real-life hero. In 1994, Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti presented him with the ‘Courageous Citizen Award’ for jumping in and saving the life of a shooting victim in L.A. who would have otherwise died on the spot from his injuries.

Grand is also dedicated to his religious beliefs and has ministered to incarcerated youth and other troubled minors.

GRAND L. BUSH IS MARRIED WITH CHILDREN

Bush has been married since 1994 to his TV personality wife, Sharon Raiford Bush (formerly known as Sharon Crews) and they have four children together, who pretty much stay out of the public eye.

Sharon was a TV news anchor and also became the first African-American female weather anchor of primetime TV news in 1975, while working at the very first Black-owned-and-operated television channel in the world, WPGR-TV in Detroit, MI. She later worked for CBS and NBC stations in Tennessee and North Carolina, as well as BET… THERE’S MORE…

HE’S A SKILLED SWIMMER

Grand L. Bush is also an expert swimmer and a certified sailboat skipper.

So as you can see, since we’ve last seen him on the big screen, Grand’s pretty much been enjoying life, even renewing his marriage vows to Sharon in 2006. We always love seeing an Old School entertainer living happy and stress-free after putting in the work and leaving a strong legacy in their path.

Many of our fellow Old Schoolers probably remember when “J.J” brought his pregnant girlfriend, “Henrietta,” home to meet his parents and inform them of his marriage plans. “Florida” and “James” were already against the marriage, but when “Henrietta” showed up with a VERY pregnant belly, the look on their faces was priceless! The actress is now-69 year old Tina Andrews, whom you may also know from “Days of Our Lives,” “Roots,” and many other roles throughout the ’70s and early ’80s.

After Tina experienced many unfair treatments of minorities in the entertainment industry- such as the time she was kicked off of “Days of Our Lives” after two years (1975-1977), because her character and her Caucasian co-star, represented the first interracial TV couple ever- she then made it her mission to do something about it and what she became is impressive…

TINA ANDREWS ON LOSING EVERYTHING AFTER SUCCESS

After her acting career in the ’70s, Tina revealed that by the mid-’80s, her money was lookin’ funny, after becoming an out-of-work actress and aspiring screenwriter; working a job she hated – answering phones at a law firm:

“I watched my first Mercedes drive down the street. [she laughs]…Literally everything that I felt was important to me — materialistically — from my having been an actress ends up in a storage bin on Western Avenue in Hollywood. And the most important big ticket items were all foreclosed upon or repossessed. So all I ended up with was a legal pad and pen and my imagination. And that’s when I say: Thank God for Alex Haley because he became my second mentor,” says Tina Andrews. – January Magazine

ALEX HALEY TO THE RESCUE

During her lowest point, Tina never gave up on her dreams and continued writing her movie scripts and books. Then shockingly, Alex Haley (whom she’d worked with on his film, “Roots”) called her at her law firm job, out of the blue, with a writing opportunity for his then-upcoming biopic. Tina was ecstatic and quit her job that same day.

“I flew down to work with Mr. Haley [in Tennessee] where he had his 165-acre farm. He had eight houses [and I stayed in one of them] and we sat side by side hashing out what was going to be the first installment for this PBS project. Unfortunately the project didn’t happen because…he died in the middle of it, so it didn’t happen.” Source

After Haley’s death, Tina kept pushing, and today at age 71 she’s still going strong…

WHAT TINA ANDREWS DOES NOW

Tina Andrews is a very successful SCREENWRITER, AUTHOR, FILM PRODUCER and DIRECTOR. She was mentored by the one and only Alex Haley (creator of the miniseries, “Roots”) and below are some of her writing and/or producer credits:

• The film, “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” (starring Halle Berry, Vivica Foxx, Larenz Tate and Lela Rochon) about singer, Frankie Lymon’s life.
• TV miniseries, “Sally Hemings: An American Scandal,” which was the first time ever that the story of President Thomas Jefferson’s longtime love affair with his slave, Sally Hemings; and the children was explored in mainstream media.
• “Coretta,” a theatrical play documenting the life of Coretta Scott-King.
• The film version of “Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.”
• The stage play, “Buckingham.”
• Books: “The Hollywood Dolls,” “Charlotte Sophia: Myth, Madness and the Moor”

It’s always a beautiful thing to see an Old School celeb’ still doing great things today. Tina Andrews is a perfect example of that.

“Good Times” is now considered one of the most iconic sitcoms of the 1970s. So, it comes as no surprise that the show made millions of dollars. However, the show’s co-creator, Eric Monte (78), has revealed some horrific backstabbing truths about what went down with his earnings and his life afterwards.  See details below…

With his contributions to “Good Times,” “What’s Happening,” “The Jeffersons,” “Sanford and Son,” “The Cosby Show,” and the classic movie, “Cooley High,” Monte’s talent definitely speaks for itself. But, despite his obvious talent, unfortunately, he wasn’t compensated properly. According to him, the execs stuck him for his paper, but we never would have guessed things had gotten THIS bad for him…

EXTREME HARDSHIPS & SMALL SALARY

During a previous interview with “Soul Train,” Monte revealed he had to take legal action to be compensated for “Good Times.” In 1977, he filed a lawsuit due to contract discrepancies with the show. But, even after winning a settlement, he still didn’t receive all he deserved.

Monte won a million-dollar settlement (crumbs in comparison to the show’s profits), and get this- he was only awarded 1% of the royalties from the show- a show that is still in regular syndication 40+ years later, mind you. Ain’t that a blip?!!

Eric Monte on lawsuit settlement: “The settlement was for $1,000,000 and one percent of ‘Good Times.’ I also get a portion of the royalties of ‘Good Times’ on DVD. I asked about ‘Sanford and Son,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ and ‘What’s Happening.’ They said, ‘nothing.'”

YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHERE MONTE ENDED UP AFTER THIS

After winning the settlement, Monte decided to invest his money in other projects. He used the funds to promote his play “If They Ever Come Back.” However, things didn’t go according to plan because the public’s response was nothing like he expected. Unfortunately, the stage play flopped.

In addition to the failed project, it was widely reported by various media outlets, that Monte ended up suffering bouts with crack cocaine abuse back in the day and had no choice but to file bankruptcy due to the lack of earnings from his show creations. And here’s where it gets even worse: In 2005, Eric Monte- the man who is responsible for creating TV shows/movie that gave us some of our most treasured old school memories EVER- found himself living in a Salvation Army shelter, paying $300.00 a month for shelter, food, and counseling. That’s just sad and wrong on SO many levels.

THE UNLIKELY PERSON WHO HELPED HIM

After years of struggling due to all of the disheartening events that occurred during his career, Monte received a major opportunity from an unlikely person. During an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Illinois state Rep. Ken Dunkin explained how he coordinated a small fundraiser to help Monte. After growing up watching so many memorable shows Monte contributed to, he explained how Monte impacted his life. He wanted to return the favor.

“We want him here in Chicago,” said Dunkin. “This man should not be going out like this. I grew up on ‘Good Times.’ That’s me. I grew up in the ’70s looking at that show. Our family gathering, bonding moments were around that show. That was our building.”

Dunkin also explained why he believes so many people should be able to relate to Monte:

“He’ll be living in an affordable home with social services geared to help folks who are rebounding,” Dunkin said. “He’ll get a key to a lovely studio with a nice kitchen in an area where most people in Chicago can’t afford to live,” he said.”His story is profound in a number of ways. We are all one or two months away from being an Eric Monte.”

At least there was a beautiful ending to an unfortunately ugly story of deception, outright thievery, and injustice. Wishing Eric Monte continued success and positive energy as he continues to rebuild his life and career.

“James” was once flirting with the beloved “Willona” in real life. A video has resurfaced from a few years ago, when John Amos (James), the late Ja’net Dubois (Willona), and the rest of the Good Times cast announced their prior plans to create a movie about their experiences on the hit ’70s sitcom.

At that time, they’d released a Kickstarter campaign to raise funding for the movie. What cracked us up is that during their video announcement, John Amos started flirting with Ja’net Dubois. Though we were super excited to hear that Good Times was making a comeback (which has now been shelved), we couldn’t stop laughing at how “James” was trying to push up on “Willona” and playfully rub up on her thighs. [Scroll down for the video]

Watch the video of Ja’net Dubois (Willona), John Amos (James), Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma), Ralph Carter (Michael Evans), and Jimmie Walker (J.J.) below, and around the 1:59 mark is where you’ll see “James” try to get with “Willona.” Her reaction was too funny:

 

Though the Good Times project reportedly fell through, the concept behind it was pretty cool. So here’s what they shared about it at that time:

Embed from Getty Images

“Back in the 70’s this entire cast of actors came together in a project called Good Times, written by Eric Monty, a native Chicagoan who knew what he was writing about. It was supposed to be autobiographical…he wrote about a family living in the Cabrini Green projects…a family that was beset by economic problems, social problems, etc.- that’s who this family was and that’s who this family is. Now we’re here today to tell you how you could become a part of this family and help this family and others to enjoy the wok we tried to do back in the day and the wok we’re doing today.

I had the pleasure of playing the role of the father of this family, ONLY because the late Esther Rolle was strong enough, when the show was offered to her, to insist that she have a husband. She did NOT want to perpetuate the image of a matriarchal family and for that, she will always be a part of our spirit. Now we ask you to join this family and be a part of it and be just as supportive as we have been of each other over the years in trying to bring this project to you.”

Beautiful memories indeed. May the late, great Ja’Net Dubois continue to rest in peace and power.

Okay ILOSM fam’ I’m just gonna put this out there: I LOVE me some “Thelma” and I know I’m not the only one. For decades, we all used to love us some Bern Nadette “Thelma” Stanis and now you will be pleasantly surprised when you meet her two look-alike daughters. Bern Nadette’s daughters will definitely give y’all “Good Times” era flashbacks, because they look like “Thelma” mini-me’s. Also, the fact that the talented Bern Nadette is 68 years young and STILL fine as she wanna be is an added treat. Check out the pics below…

BERN NADETTE STANIS’ ELDEST DAUGHTER, DIOR

Dior, is Bern Nadette’s oldest daughter. She’s in her early 30’s and is an aspiring model and an author. Dior looks so much like Thelma’s clone that it made us do a double take when we first laid eyes on her.

She loves chillin’ with her Mom and below are photos of she and Bern Nadette at an autograph signing during a prior Essence Music Festival. Dior even rocked a hat that said “Thelma’s Daughter”…How cool is that?!!

BernNadette’s daughter, Dior, on a photo shoot…

Be on the lookout for Dior’s book, titled “Love, Life, and Feelings.”

BERN NADETTE STANIS’ YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, BRITTANY ROSE

thelmaofgoodtimes:My baby daughter BrittanyRose Cole is going to be a doctor and I am proud of her.💕💓💖💞

“Thelma’s” youngest daughter, Brittany Rose, is 27 years old, Hampton University med’ student and she too, looks like a throwback version of her Momma back in her heyday!

 

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A post shared by Brittany Rose 🌹 (@brittanyrosecole)

Well, let me rephrase that because “Thelma” is FOINE today at 67 years young and to us here at ILOSM, she’ll ALWAYS be in her heyday! So we’ll just say that Brittany Rose is looking just like her Mommy looked during her “Good Times” era.

Bern Nadette is very proud of her daughters and she revealed that Brittany is currently pursuing a career in the medical field…a gynecologist to be exact:

thelmaofgoodtimes:My baby daughter BrittanyRose Cole is going to be a doctor and I am proud of her.💕💓💖💞

So there you have it fam,’ we can now say that there are officially THREE “Thelma’s.” So the line “Papo” said to “Thelma” in “Good Times” seems appropriate for this article and that is: “Oooooh Lawd, Thelma, Thelma, Thelma!” Fitting words “Papo!”

Get it Bern Nadette…

The ‘Lunch Money Rip-Off ‘episode on “Good Times” was one of the most memorable episodes ever. After “Micheal Evans” was picked on by the school bully, he decided to take a different approach and invite him over for the weekend. The bully’s name was “Eddie,” and he spent the weekend with the “Evans” family, only to learn a lesson of respect and love. The lesson came in the form of a spanking, or like Old Schoolers say, a “whoppin!”

On a side not, that brings up one question: What happened to kids being spanked (not abused) when they knowingly and intentionally do something wrong? That element is missing from many families today. A child getting a spanking for the right reasons, is typically understood by the child as having been delivered out of love. Lots of Old Schoolers believe that the absence of the spanking can also be interpreted as a lack of love and caring. However, today things are very different. Back to the topic at hand…

“Eddie’s” character was played by actor, Robert Douglas Grant Jr., who also appeared on “The Electric Company” and “What’s Happening.” His more recent TV appearance was on a British TV drama, “Footballers’ Wives,” where he played a TV sports presenter.

Unfortunately, Robert sadly passed away on May 10, 2018, just 17 days after his 59th birthday.

Per the NY Daily News, Robert became a painter, musician and educator.

In 2008, Robert married fellow painter, Eileen Grant, who revealed to NY Daily News how they’d met and how their ceremony took place:

Eileen Grant- “I had an art show, and Robert was going to be having a show at the same venue, so the staff suggested that he should attend, to see what the place was like, so we met at my show,” said Eileen. “I thought he was pretty fetching, so we exchanged numbers. The next week, we went out for coffee and it wound up being a whole day and evening out, it was just magical.”

E.G.- “He totally surprised me,” said Eileen. “He got down on his knee and gave me his grandmother’s wedding band. It was very romantic.” During the ceremony, Eileen was escorted by two of her uncles as well as her father. “They’re all very special in my life, so when I came through the chapel doors, my Dad met me and took me down part of the way to one uncle, and then he took me to the second one, who gave me away.” Eileen carried a bouquet of roses and lilies.

Okay Old Schoolers, who remembers “Stymie” from “The Little Rascals” show? He was the cool, slick talking kid who knew how to run game and con his way into, or out of, just about anything. “Stymie” was also the most practical one of the “Rascals” crew. Well, guess what?  He played a character many of us remember on “Good Times,” it’s just that by then, he was an older cat, so he was pretty much unrecognizable from his “Little Rascals” days. A lot of you all will probably flip out when see who he is, I know all of us, here at ILOSM, sure did. See who he is below.

THE CHARACTER “STYMIE” PLAYED ON “GOOD TIMES”!!!

Matthew “Stymie” Beard Jr. played “Monty,” a friend of the ‘Evans’ family on “Good Times.” You may most remember him from the infamous ‘Damn, Damn, Damn’ funeral episode, when everyone was visiting the Evans’ home after James Evans’ funeral. “Monty” and two other friends gave “Florida” some beer and liquor to offer their condolences. Beard also had recurring roles on “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons.”

DRUG PROBLEMS & JAIL STINTS PLAGUED MATTHEW “STYMIE” BEARD’S LIFE

Stymie was only 5 years old when he first starred in “The Little Rascals” and he stayed on for five years (from 1930-1935). He had other TV and film roles, but retired while in high school. By early adulthood, he was reportedly heavily addicted to heroin and spent many years going in and out of jail as a result. By the early 1960’s, Beard entered a California drug rehab, kicked his reported heroin habit for good, and was able to make a successful return to acting, which lead to his roles on “Good Times,” “Sanford & Son,” and “The Jeffersons.”

Beard passed away at the age of 56 in 1981 from pneumonia, after suffering a stroke and falling down stairs, which resulted in severe head injuries.

OLD SCHOOL FUN FACTS ABOUT MATTHEW “STYMIE” BEARD JR.

1. Beard’s “Rascals” salary was used to help take care of his 13 other brothers and sisters. Wow, the weight of that kind of responsibility on a five to ten years old child must have been pretty heavy to carry.

2. Four of his siblings and his mother all had smaller roles in “Little Rascals” or spin off projects of the Little Rascals.

3. Beard was a part of history when he starred on “The Little Rascals,” because the show made history by being the first to feature African Americans, Caucasians, and women as equals in mainstream media, which was a risky move in the 1930’s. Although there was some racial undertones in the storylines, the concept was still unheard of back then.

Rest on Matthew “Stymie” Beard Jr.

Esther Rolle is remembered most for her role as “Florida Evans” – the stern, but loving mother on Good Times. However, behind the scenes she was a very straightforward, strong-willed woman who did not compromise when it came to her beliefs and integrity as a human being and an actress.

As it is widely known, Esther said “peace out” to Good Times in 1977, originally stating that her departure was over ‘contractual disputes.’ But she later confessed that it was because of the ‘coonery’ direction she felt the show was going in, and she publicly called out the head honchos behind “Good Times” over it.

Esther Rolle’s outspokenness was a trait she developed long before Hollywood came knocking at her door. When she lived in Pampano Beach, FL with her Bahamian immigrant parents, sisters, and brothers (her parents had 18 children), she developed a high level of self-respect, personal responsibility, and a drive that led her to a career in performing arts. She elevated from performing in theatrical stage productions, to mainstream TV, and remained a firm supporter of Black artistic endeavors until she took her last breathe in 1998.

https://youtu.be/oJx2NjAzoPY

Rolle’s 1990 People Magazine interview gives a little more insight into the strong woman she was. Rolle discussed why she refused to ‘sell out’ to Hollywood for a paycheck, her refusal to walk behind a man, and a few other interesting facts:

Rolle has indeed been typecast as the maid, but it’s a part she has reinvented with pride. “I’m glad to take on the role of a domestic,”she explains, “because many of your Black leaders, your educators, your professionals came from domestic parents who made sacrifices to see that their children didn’t go through what they did.” But, she adds, “I don’t play Hollywood maids, the hee-hee kind of people who are so in love with their madam’s children they have no time for their own.” Whether playing a servant—or Lady Macbeth, as she did onstage-she consistently found herself in quality productions with meaty parts. […] Says Rolle: “I’m not so in love with material things that I’ll do anything for money. That allows me the luxury of doing things of value.”

Lighting up a cigarette in the two-story stucco house that looks out over downtown L.A., the majestic, sometimes imperious Rolle softens. She [longed] to tend her withered garden.[…] When worried or anxious, Rolle turns to her pots and pans. “Your mind flashes back to your childhood. You remember what Mama used to bake and you do that. Then you call some relatives over and you have a ball eating.” Would she marry again? “If I found somebody I could tolerate—or who could tolerate me. But I don’t walk behind no man.”

Ms. Rolle was finally fed ALL the way up with the “Good Times” ‘coonery’:

In 1977 Esther walked out of the still high-rated Good Times series because she felt the popular character J.J., played by Jimmy Walker, was tailored into a buffoon. “I told the producers, ‘I did not agree to do a clown show for you to degrade young Black men,’ ” she says. CBS won her back, but only for one more season. Rolle says it’s the kind of battle she’ll fight again if she has to. “I ruffle a lot of feathers,”she admits. “And I’m also selective—that makes you a troublemaker. But so be it. I laid a cornerstone for Black actors, and that makes me happy.”

And there you have it folks: Esther Rolle was no one’s push-over. We respect her for staying true to her beliefs. Job well done Ms. Rolle, continue to rest peacefully.

John Amos a.k.a. “James” from Good Times recently explained how his life was almost cut short when he was bidding for the role of “Kunta Kinte” in the miniseries, Roots.

Let’s just say some folks took his preparation for the role VERY seriously…like life-threatening seriously. While competing for the role of “Kunta Kinte,” Amos wanted to make sure that he nailed it with the appropriate African accent, even though the casting directors presumably doubted he could pull it off at the time. To be sure he had it down, Mr. Amos went to Liberia and only spoke in the African accent he’d planned on using for the role, if he were to get the part. Check out what he said about that and how he got the “Kunta Kinte” role below…

John Amos: “I knew I had the handle on it [the African accent], not because of ego, but one time when I was living in Liberia I was out drinking with some friends of mine –local guys– and we went to one of the local shebeens, which is just a bar in somebody’s house where they make homemade brew or whatever. And my friend, Charles Mitchell –an indigenous Liberian– said to me, ‘John!’ I said ‘What Charles?’ …I had my back to the crowd…Charles is facing me and I see a look of alarm on his face. ‘I said ‘Charles what’s wrong?!!’ He said, ‘Oh John, one bad guy [with a machete] coming for us.’ I said, ‘WHAT?!!’ …

I turn around…and there’s  a guy, [he] gets up from the table and sure enough he’s got his machete out, and he’s with two or three of his friends –and they’ve got they’re machetes or clubs. … The guy looked at me and said, ‘I know you! I told you when you were in Bowman Hill Diamond Mine, that I coming for you one day and now the day!’ “

Amos explained that his potential attacker had mistaken him for a former security guard who’d mistreated him back in the day, when he was an imprisoned worker at a diamond mine in the area. So, John Amos had to think quick on his feet in order to save his life:

J.A.: “This guy (the security guard) had mistreated him so bad that he’d vowed he was gonna cut his head off. He said ‘Now I’m coming for your head!’ I said, ‘Woah! Wait one minute buddy!’ … [I] dropped the accent, pulled out my wallet, pulled out my California [license] *gesturing to himself* this is ME, I’m just a player!'”

Afterwards, the potential attacker was so shocked that John Amos wasn’t who he’d thought he was, that he treated him and his friend to “a lot of beer” and the rest is history!

John continued:

“So the question of ‘whether or not I had the right accent’ wasn’t up for discussion, it almost got me KILLED! LOL.”

That story John Amos told is something to laugh at now, but I’m sure there was no chuckling going on back then.

Amos also said that he experienced an extremely emotional, surreal breakdown moment on the set of Roots during filming, after what he explained as “hearing voices of his ancestors speak directly to him.” They had to pause the filming process because of it. Turn the page to watch the video clip of Amos detailing that ‘spiritual incident.’

Very interesting. I’m not sure if Amos was hearing his ancestors, or just becoming overwhelmed by the emotional beating and pain that starring in such a powerful, raw depiction, like Roots, could cause.

Either way, every actor did an incredible job. They had to dig from someplace deep down mentally, psychologically, and spiritually that they’d probably never tapped into before and I’m sure the realness of the script and the scenes they were portraying, must have taken a psychological/emotional toll on them at that time, understandably so.

Much respect to the the late, great writer of Roots, Alex Haley, for bringing to life the story of his REAL family and allowing us all to feel a piece of our own personal family history through the story of his.

As we continue to mourn the recent loss of beloved actor, Johnny Brown – best known for his role as “Bookman” – we thought we’d reminisce about happier times, with this Old School fun fact.

Did you know that Johnny Brown has a daughter who was the star of a VERY popular Good Times episode? If you’re a Good Times fan, I’m sure you remember her role, because that episode was one of the most memorable ones of that entire season.

Johnny’s daughter was in the ‘Breaker Breaker’ episode. Yep, you’re seeing this right…she is none other than “Fun Girl!” Remember when she was the young lady in the wheelchair, who deceived Michael over the CB (the world’s first ‘Chat Line,’ so to speak)?

Her name is Sharon Brown and you’ve scene her on many shows and movies throughout the years, but one of my personal favorites was this “Fun Girl” role, because I always thought that scene was monumental.

You’ve probably also watched Sharon in other roles. She played the young “Louise” on The Jeffersons episode titled, “And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds.” She’s also starred in other TV roles on A Different World (as the opera diva Angela, in the episode starring Gladys Knight) Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the CBS soap opera Love of Life in 1971, and on the NBC soap, Generations from 1989 to 1990. Her film credits include movies such as A Chorus Line (1985), For Keeps (1988), Sister Act 2 (1993), What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) and Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999). Sharon’s also worked frequently as a stage actress on Broadway and on stage plays like The Wiz, Rent, Dreamgirls, and others.

“Fun Girl” is now 60 years young and is aging gracefully. She’s now a fitness guru and also still performs in theatrical plays and television projects. Go ‘head Sharon! I’m sure her dad was very proud of her.

Meet Her Mom

Johnny Brown is survived by his wife of 61 years, June; his daughter, Sharon; and son, Johnny Jr. Above, is a photo of Johnny and wife, June – Sharon’s mother.

Sharon Brown Gave Details On Her Father’s Death

In case you missed our prior report, Sharon here’s what Sharon revealed to TMZ about her father, Johnny Brown’s sudden passing on March 2, 2022:

Johnny’s daughter Sharon Catherine Brown tells TMZ, he was at his doctor’s office in L.A. Wednesday getting his pacemaker checked out, and shortly after he left he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he passed. She says the appointment was routine, so his sudden death was a shock.

Soon after her father passed away, Sharon took to social media to pay homage to him with this touching message:

Sharon Brown- “Johnny Brown June 11, 1937 – March 2, 2022 … Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable. To articulate the depths of profound sadness.This is my mom’s husband for sixty one years, mine and JJ’s dad, Elijah and Levi’s Pop Pop, older brother to George and brother in law to Pat and extended family to Chris, Hihat, Damian and Derell. It’s too terrible. It will never not be. It’s a shock. He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet. So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”

Johnny Brown (Bookman) remained busy in television for 40+ years. After Good Times ended, Brown could be seen in such series as The Parkers, Everybody Hates Chris and the 2012 and 2013 films In Da Cut The Movie and In Da Cut.

Thank you for sharing your craft with the world and bringing joy to the homes of millions, Johnny Brown. Rest well king.