October 04, 2005

RIP Nipsey Russell Nipsey Russell, who died Sunday at 81, was a pioneering black comedian who was successful enough to became ubiquitous as a guest on game shows, among other venues, setting him up as the kind of celebrity of whom nobody is quite sure how he got there or why. Yet Russell was part of a generation for whom appearing in regular television roles was itself a step forward.
posted by petebest 18 years ago
  • WaPo article Mr. Russell's way with a rhyme grew out of an appearance with longtime "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon on the TV show "Missing Links" in 1964. Closing the show, McMahon turned to the comedian and co-host and asked whether he had a poem. Suddenly he did, spontaneously, and from then on he was expected to have verse at the ready, whatever the occasion. He had more than 600 poems committed to memory, Rapp said. He composed them late at night.
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  • As a kid in the early '70s, I used to get Nipsey Russell and Flip Wilson mixed up, as they both were practically the only black, male comics appearing regularly on television shows (Bill Cosby was the third but I knew him from PBS). Hearing his name brings back warm, fuzzy memories of being sprawled out on the orange shag carpet watching the old black-n-white tv on the swivel cart. Nipsey, we'll miss ya!
  • His name always brings to mind an early Ellen Degeneres standup ramble, in which she referred to a grouping of bats in a cave as "a Nipsey Russell of bats". RIP, batman.
  • Never heard of the guy, but I hope the light is white for him.
  • er, that came out wrong. You know what I mean.
  • Please somebody post so that my awful faux pas is moved up a bit! /cringes
  • It's funny cuz of all the weird names there are for groups of animals: a pride of lions, a murder of crows, a George Segal of walruses.
  • He made people laugh. I can think of worse epitaphs.
  • He was erudite, witty and spontaneous, could sing and dance like the natural he was, and entertained me immensely when I was home sick from school. RIP Nipsey. May we all be so quick and sharp.
  • He who once eased with verve down the yellow brick road Now has left us to serve in the final game show. He would have been 81 on the 13th of this month. Requiescat in pace.
  • As I recall, he was often on the panel for Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts back in the 70's. I can remember a drunk Dean-o introducing him as 'Rusty Nipples'.
  • . Would have never guessed that he was 80. Hope he's getting back some of the joy he gave countless others...