Redd Foxx spent years clutching his chest and shouting for his "Elizabeth" on national television. It was the ultimate sitcom gag. A masterpiece of physical comedy that made Sanford and Son a cultural powerhouse. But on October 11, 1991, the joke stopped being funny.
The Redd Foxx date of death is one of the most haunting footnotes in Hollywood history because of a cruel irony. He died doing exactly what he had faked a thousand times. When he collapsed on the set of his comeback show, The Royal Family, people didn't run for a defibrillator. They laughed. They thought he was doing "the big one" for the cameras.
Honestly, it’s the kind of dark comedy Foxx might have written himself if he weren’t the one lying on the floor.
What Really Happened on October 11, 1991?
It was a Friday. Foxx was 68 years old and finally back in the spotlight after a rough decade of tax troubles and career slumps. He was rehearsing on Stage 31 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. According to his long-time friend and co-star Della Reese, the atmosphere was tense.
An interview crew from Entertainment Tonight (some sources say Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) was on set. The producers were reportedly pushing Foxx to perform a simple walk-through for the cameras. He was annoyed. He was tired.
Then, he fell.
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"Get my wife," he whispered. Those were basically his last words. Even then, the crew didn't immediately grasp the gravity. Because Foxx was a master of the "pratfall," everyone assumed he was just leaning into the Fred Sanford persona to blow off steam. It took several long, agonizing seconds for the room to realize that this wasn't a rehearsal.
He was rushed to Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. He didn't make it. At 7:45 p.m., the man who broke racial barriers in comedy was pronounced dead from a massive heart attack.
The IRS, Eddie Murphy, and the Sad State of His Finances
Most people don't realize how broke Redd Foxx was when he passed away. It’s actually heartbreaking. Despite making millions, the IRS had stripped him of almost everything. They had seized his homes, his cars, and even his jewelry. There’s a story that they once walked into a dressing room and took the cash right out of his pockets.
When the Redd Foxx date of death hit the news, he didn't even have enough money left for a proper burial.
That’s where Eddie Murphy stepped in.
Murphy, who had starred with Foxx in Harlem Nights, quietly paid for the entire funeral and the burial plot. He didn't do it for the PR. He did it because Foxx was a pioneer who deserved better than a pauper's grave. Today, Foxx rests at Palm Eastern Cemetery in Las Vegas. If you ever visit, you’ll see the "Redd Foxx" name on a simple, dignified marker—a gift from a younger comedian who knew he stood on the shoulders of a giant.
Why We Still Talk About Him Today
Redd Foxx wasn't just a guy with a funny walk. He was the "King of the Party Records." Before he was Fred Sanford, he was "Chicago Red," a raunchy stand-up who paved the way for Richard Pryor and Chris Rock. He refused to play the "safe" version of a Black father that TV executives wanted in the 70s.
He wanted Fred Sanford to be real. Grumpy, biased, hardworking, and deeply human.
Quick Facts About the Comedy Legend:
- Birth Name: John Elroy Sanford (named after his father).
- Draft Dodger: He once ate a bar of soap to make his heart palpitate during a WWII physical to avoid the draft.
- The Signature Move: The "I’m comin’ Elizabeth" gag was a tribute to his real-life wife at the time, though the character’s wife was named after his sister.
The Legacy of Stage 31
The show he was filming, The Royal Family, tried to continue without him. They even brought in Jackée Harry to try and fill the void. It didn't work. The spark was gone. You can't replace a man who spent forty years perfecting the art of the insult.
The Redd Foxx date of death serves as a reminder of the toll the industry takes on its legends. He was 68, working a grueling sitcom schedule to pay off debt, and died in front of a crowd that thought his pain was part of the entertainment.
If you want to honor the man, don't just remember how he died. Go back and watch the early seasons of Sanford and Son. Listen to his old "Blue" comedy records. He was a man who lived for the laugh, even if the last laugh was a tragic one.
How to Honor Redd Foxx Today
- Watch the Classics: Stream Sanford and Son to see his physical comedy at its peak.
- Support Comedic History: Look into the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY, which preserves the history of pioneers like Foxx.
- Check Your Health: Foxx’s death was a sudden cardiac event. Use this as a prompt to get a regular check-up, especially if you have a high-stress lifestyle.
Redd Foxx gave us everything he had, right up until the final seconds on that Paramount stage. He was a king of comedy who died in the middle of a comeback, proving that while the man is gone, the "Big One" never truly took his spirit.