nipsey russell dies

[shanti]

Actor Nipsey Russell Dies(New York-WABC, October 3, 2005) - Actor Nipsey Russell, known as "the poet laureate of television," passed away yesterday afternoon at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Eyewitness News has learned Russell died of cancer, confirmed his longtime manager, Joseph Rapp. He was in his early 80s.
Rapp said Russell was born in 1923, although some reports had him born in 1924. The manager said his age was never clear because Russell did not retain a birth certificate.

Russell achieved his first major role as Officer Anderson in "Car 54, Where Are You?"

He appeared on a string of game shows and variety shows, such as the "Dean Martin Roasts," "Laugh-In," "Jackie Gleason Show," among many others.

Russell delighted audiences with short poems, earning him the nickname "the poet laureate of television." He appeared on "The Tonight Show" and many other very popular talk shows of the day.

*snip*



http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=entertainment&id=3496470

[Demeter]

1. RIP

Gone to a better place. I'm beginning to think it's the only way out for Americans.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. quick---what rhymes with 'dies?'

"I DRINK CHAMPAGNE WHEN I HUSTLE/
I DRINK CHAMPAGNE WITH NIPSY RUSSEL"
--Chris Rock

[Sydnie]

3. OH, RIP Nipsy

You will be missed. Tell Dean to pass you a cold one and relax.

[stevedeshazer]

4. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Lefty48197]

I'll miss you Nipsey - RIP

You were always very entertaining. I was too young to think there was anything strange about a Black man being on television.

[AlphaCat]

5. Bless his heart!

I didn't know he was still alive! I hope he went peacefully; I remember watching him so often as a kid....

[cloud_chaser1]

6. I met Nipsy Russell

at the NBC studios several years back. What an absolute gentleman he was. Not in the least impressed with himself, he would give you his entire attention even though he didnt know who you were. And if you wanted to continue talking, he didnt try to excuse his way away. He stood there and talked. And he was quite funny.
Not many like him around anymore.

RIP

[no_hypocrisy]

7. I remember him in ABC's "Barefoot in the Park" (1970?)

Scoey Mitchell and Tracy Reed. He made that show.

And hey! If he was in "Car 54", then he also worked with "Grandpa" Al Lewis! Cool!

RIP.

[slampoet]

14. Mr Russell was one of my childhood influences...as a poet.

I recall him doing a segment on the saturday morning show "Kids Are People Too" rhyming a poem about a lady asking him why his mother patched his pants with little brown patches "as she could plainly see". And Nipsey Russell rhyming it ending with something like "those aren't little brown patches, that's me!"

He could even make holes in your clothes a funny thing.

That's quite an achievment.

Sleep Tin Man.

[watrwefitinfor]

15. Scoey Mitchell - I loved him.

I'm so glad to hear from someone who remembers "Barefoot In the Park". Mitchell was funnier as a stand-up, but it was a good show.

Didn't mean to hi-jack Nipsey's thread.

RIP, Nipsey Russell.

Wat

[jus_the_facts]

8. ~*~RIP~*~

:loveya:

[newyorican]

9. RIP

and God bless brother...

[peacefreak]

10. Rest with the angels, Nipsy.

As a kid I always thought he had nice smile. I thought he must have been a very kind man.

[MurrayDelph]

11. I remember how he would be called upon

at the end of (I believe it was) the Match Game, to end the
show with a laugh.

There was one that always stuck with me:

After New Year's heer
Comes Election Year
And the competition is going to be rough.

The politicians won't have to lie about each other.
The truth will be bad enough.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

12. Conan O'Brien should do a tribute

nipsey was always great as a recurring bit player in the show's early years

[sniffa]

13. going to the $10,000 pyrramid in the sky

he was awesome in both the wiz and wiLdcats.

:cry:

[LostinVA]

16. NO! The Nipsey Russell Show...

[Lancer]

17. You're thinking of Flip Wilson

(Both guys were great.)

[XanaDUer]

18. He was the best part of The Wiz...

:cry:

[mcscajun]

19. A Nipsey Russell Classic:

"The kids are saying 'Make Love, Not War',
and I'm beginning to think they're right.
For war costs millions of dollars a day,
and love--just a few bucks a night!"

--More of the 'Gospel According To Nipsey Russell'

[cat_hair]

20. Aw damn

I'm sorry to hear this. I really liked him.

[Zomby Woof]

21. I loved him on 'Match Game' and 'Tell The Truth'

And other game shows when I was a kid. He was a riot.

RIP, Nipsey!

[Bombero1956]

22. another one I remember

The products they sell on television
sometimes don't do what they claim
I took a bath in Clorox
and I still came out the same.

RIP Nipsey and say hello to Fred Gwynn.

[goclark]

23. We'll miss you Nipsey, RIP

[henslee]

24. This hurts way more than I ever imagined it would. Nipsy was one

of the first performers I really dug on TV as a kid -- him and all that rhyming. I've seen him on a slew of game and variety shows which were the thing.

[bliss_eternal]

25. Rest in peace, Dear Mr. Russell...

:cry:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

26. Awwwww...RIP, Nipsey..thanks for all the laughs

[chiffon]

27. ...

[KitchenWitch]

28. Oh No!

:cry:

He was a truly funny man.

[fortyfeetunder]

29. one of the last of the great comics

I too can remember his jokes that one can repeat during daytime TV. He was so funny. But take comfort he lived a long, good life.

:cry: RIP Nipsey!

[jobycom]

30. Damn. Cool guy. RIP, and condolences to the family.

[enigmatic]

31. Damn, Nipsy's gone?

RIP, my friend..

[Centered]

32. RIP

you were truely a very funny man

[deutsey]

33. I always liked him, especially when he was on Match Game

RIP, Mr. Russell.

[Dervill Crow]

34. R.I.P.

So sad.

[Magrittes Pipe]

35. Shit.

Fuck. :(