Julius "Nipsey" Russell (September 15, 1918 – October 2, 2005)^[1] was an African-American comedian, best known today for his many appearances as a guest panelist on game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s, especially Match Game, Password, Hollywood Squares, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid. His appearances were distinguished in part by the short, humorous poems he would recite during the broadcast. These lyrics became so closely associated with Russell that Dick Clark regularly referred to him as "the poet laureate of television." is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... “Quiz show” redirects here. ... The Match Game was an American television game show, most often hosted by Gene Rayburn. ... Allen Ludden Password was a long-running American game show produced by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nipsey Russell, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen and Kitty Carlisle from the 1969-78 version. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Early life

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Russell went to Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta and attended the University of Cincinnati for one semester in 1936.^[2] He served as a medic in the United States Army during World War II, enlisting as a private on June 27, 1941, and returning from Europe in 1945 as a second lieutenant.^[3] He got his start in the 1940s as a carhop at the Atlanta drive-in The Varsity, where he increased the tips he earned by making customers laugh. He was discovered after he began performing in nightclubs in the 1950s. He subsequently made many "party albums," which were essentially compilations of his stand-up routines. Atlanta redirects here. ... The University of Cincinnati is a coeducational public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Medical team at work during the Battle of Normandy. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... A carhop is a waiter or waitress (often) on rollerskates who brings food to people in their cars. ... The Varsity, located on North Avenue The Varsity is a restaurant chain, iconic in the modern culture of Atlanta, Georgia. ...

Early career

In the mid-1950s Russell joined forces with the popular movie comedian Mantan Moreland for a stage act, replacing Ben Carter as Moreland's dapper straight man. Moreland would engage Russell in conversation, only to be interrupted by Russell, who in turn was interrupted by Moreland: Mantan Moreland (3 September 1902 - 28 September 1973) was a comic and actor most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. ... The use of a character who, by contrast, brings out the comic qualities of another character (or of other characters). ...

Moreland: Guess who I saw? I saw old —

Russell: Is he back again? I thought he was —

Moreland: He was, but he got out.

Russell: Is that so?

Moreland: Yeah, he was over —

Russell: Is that so?

Soon the entire conversation was conducted in incomplete sentences, with each man anticipating or contradicting the other. Moreland and Russell's act can be seen in two all-black-cast compilation films, Rhythm and Blues Review and Rock and Roll Revue; a variation of the act, performed by Tommy Davidson and Savion Glover, was featured in Spike Lee's 2000 film Bamboozled. Tommy Davidson (born December 18, 1965 in Washington, D.C., USA) is an American film and television actor. ... Image:Savion Glover. ... Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia), better known as Spike Lee, is an Emmy Award - winning, and Academy Award - nominated American film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his films dealing with controversial social and political issues. ... Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup and the violent fall-out from the shows success. ...

In the late 1950s, Russell appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, which led to a supporting part as a New York policeman in the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? in 1960. In 1965 he became a co-host of ABC's Les Crane Show. During the 1970s, he was a co-star in the ABC sitcom Barefoot in the Park and appeared regularly on The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Comedy World. Scattered appearances on television series followed, as well as occasional guest-host stints on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson era. The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by former entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. ... Car 54, Where Are You? was a TV comedy show that ran from 1961 to 1963 on the American television network NBC. It followed the madcap adventures of police officers in the fictional 53rd precinct in the borough of The Bronx in New York City. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Barefoot in the Park was an American television situation comedy based on a Neil Simon Broadway play, debuting in 1970 (The Odd Couple was another). ... The Dean Martin Show was a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974, for 245 episodes. ... Created by legendary crooner Dean Martin, The Dean Martin Comedy World traveled around the world to find new comedy acts and show them on the air. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ...

Game show career

Russell became the first black performer to become a regular panelist on a weekly network game show when he joined ABC's Missing Links in 1964. Another ABC show, Rhyme or Reason, had poetry for a premise, making Russell's participation a necessity: Missing Links was a Goodson-Todman game show hosted by Ed McMahon, and future Pyramid host Dick Clark that aired on two networks. ...

Host: Conny Van Dyke looks like a girl I once dated.

Russell: And now, all my dreams are strictly X-rated!

In 1971 he started as a featured panelist on To Tell the Truth, which led to his being hired for The Match Game when Goodson-Todman Productions revived it two years later. He also served as panelist on the 1968 revival of What's My Line? Producer Bob Stewart featured him regularly as a panelist on Pyramid throughout its 1970s and 1980s runs. Russell would also host the short-lived 1985 game show Your Number's Up as well as the early-'80s revival of Juvenile Jury. Nipsey Russell, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen and Kitty Carlisle from the 1969-78 version. ... The Match Game was an American television game show, most often hosted by Gene Rayburn. ... Whats My Line? was a weekly panel game show originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Your Numbers Up was a game show that aired on NBC from September 23, 1985 to December 20, 1985. ...

During his appearances on game shows, at some point in the broadcast the host would give the floor to Russell, who would recite a self-penned poem from memory, looking straight into the camera. One poem from a 1980s episode of The $100,000 Pyramid is typical of his style and wit:

If you ever go out with a schoolteacher,

You're in for a sensational night;

She'll make you do it over and over again

Until you do it right.

He was also a trained dancer, influenced in his youth by legendary performer Jack Wiggins. Russell put these talents to use in the 1978 musical The Wiz as the Tin Man. He also appeared on the big screen in 1994's adaptation of Car 54, Where Are You?, reprising his role as Anderson, who had now been promoted from sergeant to captain. Jack Wiggins was an African-American entertainer of the early twentieth century, now remembered primarily for his elegant style in tap dancing. ... This article is about the stage musical. ... Car 54, Where Are You? was a TV comedy show that ran from 1961 to 1963 on the American television network NBC. It followed the madcap adventures of police officers in the fictional 53rd precinct in the borough of The Bronx in New York City. ...

Later career and death

During the 1990s Mr. Russell gained popularity with a new generation of television viewers as a regular on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Russell would often appear during comedy sketches between scheduled guests and deliver his trademark rhymes. Late Night with Conan OBrien is an Emmy Award-winning American late night talk show that is syndicated worldwide. ...

Russell's final TV appearance was as a panelist for one week (specifically, a game show-themed week) on the final season of the Tom Bergeron version of Hollywood Squares. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

He died at age 87 in New York City, after suffering from stomach cancer. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus and the small intestine. ...

References

The Death Master File is a computer database file maintained by the United States Social Security Administration since 1962. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Nipsey Russell

• Nipsey Russell at the Internet Movie Database
• CBS 2: Nipsey Russell Dies At 82 [sic]
• Rhyming Funnyman Nipsey Russell Dies - The Washington Post
• Nipsey Russell, a Comic With a Gift for Verse, Dies at 80 [sic] - The New York Times
• A Tribute to Comedian Nipsey Russell - audio clip from NPR's All Things Considered, October 4, 2005