| Nipsey Russell |
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![]() Russell in 1971 |
| Birth name | Julius Russell |
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| Born | (1918-09-15)September 15, 1918
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Died | October 2, 2005(2005-10-02) (aged 87)
New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| Medium | Stand-up comedy, television, movie |
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| Nationality | American |
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| Years active | 1950–1996 |
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| Influences | Michael Gough, Dean Martin, Pat Hingle, James Brown, Milton Berle, Foster Brooks, Orson Welles, Redd Foxx |
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| Influenced | Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, Nipsey Hussle, Bernie Mac |
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Julius "Nipsey" Russell (September 15, 1918 – October 2, 2005)[1][2] was an American comedian and movie actor.
He is best known for being a guest panelist on TV game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s. The game shows, where he appeared, include: Match Game, Password, Hollywood Squares, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid. He would tell short, humorous poems. Because of those poems, people like Bandstand leader Dick Clark, host Bill Cullen, actress Betty White, and others called him "the poet laureate of television."
He also was in the movie The Wiz as the Tin Man. He was a guest many times on the long-running "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast" series.
He died on October 2, 2005 in New York City, U.S. He had stomach cancer. His ashes were scattered into the Atlantic Ocean.
References
- ↑ Nipsey J. Russell, born 15 September 1918, died 2 October 2005. Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index (Death Master File).
- ↑ U.S. Census, 1 January 1920, state of Georgia, county of DeKalb, city of Atlanta, enumeration district 180, page 4-A, family 75, Julius Russell, age 1 year 2 months.
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