Flip Wilson

Flip Wilson was an American comedian and actor. He was born Clerow Wilson, Jr. in Jersey City, New Jersey to Clerow Wilson, Sr. and Cornelia Bullock Wilson. He was one of ten chiildren. When Flip was seven years old his mother abandoned the family. His father couldn't take care of ten children alone and Flip and his siblings were sent to foster care. After bouncing from foster homes to reform school, 16 year old Flip joined the United States Air Force. His outgoing personality and funny stories made him popular; he was even asked to tour military bases to cheer up servicemen. Claiming that he was always "flipped out", Wilson's barracks mates gave him the nickname "Flip" which he used as his stage name. Flip was discharged from the Air Force in 1954.

In the late 1950s and early 60s Flip toured regularly through nightclubs with a black clientele in the so called "Chitlin Circuit". During the 1960s Flip became a regular at the Apollo Theatre. An unexpected break came in 1965, when comedian Redd Foxx was a guest on The Tonight Show and host Johnny Carson asked him who was the funniest comedian at the time was; Foxx answered "Flip Wilson." Carson then booked Wilson to appear on The Tonight Show and Wilson became a favorite guest on that show as well as on The Ed Sullivan Show. Wilson later singled out Sullivan as providing his biggest career boost. Wilson also made guest appearances on numerous TV comedies and variety shows, such as Here's Lucy (in which he played the role of Prissy in a spoof of Gone With The Wind with Lucille Ball as Scarlett) and The Dean Martin Show among others.

Wilson's warm and ebullient personality was infectious. Richard Pryor told Wilson, "You're the only performer I've ever seen who goes on the stage and audiences hope you like them".

In 1970 Wilson's variety series, The Flip Wilson Show debuted on NBC. He performed in comedy sketches and played host to many African-American entertainers, including The Supremes, the Jackson Five, the Tempations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, comedian Redd Foxx and basketball player, Bill Russell. He greeted all his guests with the "Flip Wilson handshake". four hand slaps, two elbow bumps, finishing with two hip bumps. George Carlin was one of the show's writers and made frequent appearances. Flip's most popular character was Geraldine Jones, who frequently referred to her unseen boyfriend "Killer", and whose line was "the devil made me do it" as well as "What you see is what you get" became national catchphrases.

Flip was married twice. In 1957 he married Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson (nee Dean), they divorced in 1967. He had four children with his common-law wife Blonell Pittman. After winning custody of his children in 1979, he performed less in order to spend more time with them. In 1979 he married Tuanchai "Cookie" Mackenzie with whom they had one child before they divorced in 1984.