Demond Wilson, who played Lamont on 'Sanford and Son,' dies at 79

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Demond Wilson, who played Lamont on 'Sanford and Son,' dies at 79

2026-02-01 21:30 Last Updated At：21:41

Demond Wilson, who found fame in the 1970s playing Lamont on “Sanford and Son” and went on to become a minister, has died. He was 79.

Mark Goldman, a publicist for Wilson, confirmed to The Associated Press that he died following complications from cancer on Friday.

“A devoted father, actor, author, and minister, Demond lived a life rooted in faith, service, and compassion. Through his work on screen, his writing, and his ministry, he sought to uplift others and leave a meaningful impact on the communities he served,” Goldman said in an emailed statement.

Wilson was best known as the son of Redd Foxx's comically cantankerous Fred Sanford character in a sitcom that was among the first to feature a mostly Black cast when it began airing in 1972.

The thoughtful Lamont had to put up with his junkyard owner father's schemes, bigotry and insults — most famously, and repeatedly, “You big dummy!”

The show was a hit for its six seasons on NBC but ended when ABC offered Foxx a variety show.

Wilson was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and grew up in the Harlem section of Manhattan, according to the biography on his website.

He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and was wounded there, and he returned to New York and acted on stage before heading to Hollywood.

A guest appearance on “All in the Family” in 1971 led to his best-known role. Norman Lear produced both shows.

Wilson told AP in 2022 that he got the role over comedian Richard Pryor.

“I said, ‘C’mon, you can’t put a comedian with a comedian. You’ve got to have a straight man,’” he said he told the producers.

After “Sanford and Son” ended, Wilson starred in the shorter-lived comedies “Baby I'm Back” and “The New Odd Couple.” He later appeared in four episodes of the show “Girlfriends” in the 2000s, along with a handful of movie roles.

Though he returned to the screen at times, he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986 that the acting life was not for him: “It wasn’t challenging. And it was emotionally exhausting because I had to make it appear that I was excited about what I was doing.”

Wilson became a minister in the 1980s.

He is survived by his wife, Cicely Wilson, and their six children.

Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national

ZURICH (AP) — An 18-year-old Swiss national has died in a Zurich hospital from injuries sustained in a Swiss Alpine bar fire, bringing the death toll to 41 a month after the tragedy.

The victim died on Saturday, according to the Swiss public prosecutor. The prosecutor said in a statement Sunday it would provide no further information on the status of the investigation.

Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling at the packed Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, less than two hours after midnight on Jan. 1. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Fire safety inspections hadn’t been carried out since 2019.

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the owners — French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti — on suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing a fire by negligence. The court of compulsory measures in the southwestern Valais region on Jan. 12 ordered three months of pretrial detention for Jacques Moretti, but on Jan. 23 ordered his release on bail.

With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region, Crans-Montana is a major destination for international alpine skiing competitions.