Grady Demond Wilson, 'Sanford And Son' Actor, Passes Away At 79

TV & Film

Feb 3

IMAGE Demond Wilson — Image Source: Cinemablend

Demond Wilson passed away at his home in Palm Springs on January 30th, 2026. One of his sons announced that his death was due to cancer-related complications. The talented actor/author was seventy-nine years old. Born in Valdosta, Georgia, in 1946, Grady Demond Wilson moved to New York, where, as a youth, he found his way onto Broadway and Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater. The Vietnam War put his career on a brief pause, and he served his country in the 4th Infantry Division. Wilson was wounded in Vietnam and was eventually returned to the US.

After the war, he attempted to break into television. In 1971, he landed a small role in Mission Impossible and never looked back. His own sitcom, Sanford and Son, came a year later. The series (adapted from the British Steptoe and Son) was one of the ten highest-rated in America and ran for five years. It was the first sitcom with a primarily black cast since Amos n’ Andy in the 1950s and paved the way for a new genre of comedy.

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After Sanford and Son wrapped, Wilson continued to make America laugh with Baby…I’m Back (Also starring Kim Fields) and The New Odd Couple (with Ron Glass aka from Firefly). His last appearance was in 2023 as Issac in Eleanor’s Bench.

Demond Wilson was also a man of faith. He wrote several Christian-themed books and was ordained as a minister. He also founded the Restoration House of America to help former inmates reintegrate into society. He leaves behind his wife of fifty-two years, and six children.