For those of us who grew up in the 70s, there were few figures on television as recognizable as Sherman Hemsley, who died today at age 74 in his El Paso, Texas home.
Hemsley played George Jefferson on The Jeffersons. One of the first leading African American men in a comedy series, Hemsley hammed it up as Jefferson, making the character both hilarious and iconic.
The Philadelphia-born actor first made an impression on national audiences playing Jefferson as the neighbor on television’s All in the Family. He played the character so memorably that The Jeffersons was soon spun off as its own show, as George and Louise Jefferson moved “uptown” with business success.
After The Jeffersons finished its run, Hemsley returned with another hit, playing Deacon Ernest Frye on the comedy Amen.
Little known is that Hemsley was also a singer, releasing an album in the early 90s. He was unmarried at the time of his death. He will be both missed and remembered.
