Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Celebrating Black History Month: Flip Wilson, first African American to win Golden Globe for television series


Clerow "Flip" Wilson, born December 8, 1933 in Jersey City, New Jersey, hosted his weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show.  It earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy in 1971.  He became the first African-American to win the award. It also earned him two Emmy Awards.

Wilson won a Grammy Award for his 1970 The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress.

He got the nickname Flip when he served in the US Air Force.  He would tell funny stories, which made him popular.  His barrack mates gave him the nickname because he was always "flipped out". 

Wilson passed away in November 1998.

Here is a clip of him as his character Geraldine Jones with Ray Charles.

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