Sad news to report…

Grady Demond Wilson, best known for playing Lamont Sanford, the son of Fred Sanford on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son, has died at the age of 79.

Wilson’s son, Demond Wilson Jr. , tells TMZ he was pronounced dead Friday morning at his home in Palm Springs, California. He passed away from complications related to cancer. Demond didn’t reveal the type of cancer he had. He told us … “I loved him. He was a great man.”

Grady, who went by Demond Wilson professionally, starred on Sanford and Son between 1972 and 1977 before moving on to portray Raymond Ellis in the single season of Baby… I’m Back! He secured a leading role in The New Odd Couple as well, which ran for one season in the early ’80s.

Grady brought his acting talents to cinema too, most notably starring in the 1993 film Me and the Kid.

His final appearance came in the drama Eleanor’s Bench in 2023 following an almost 20-year break from acting, according to his IMDb page.

Wilson, whose first name is Grady but who became known in showbiz as Demond, kicked off in show business at a ridiculously young age — dancing on Broadway as a child and performing at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre by his early teens. But after a life‑changing stint in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Army — where he was wounded in action — he swapped the battlefield for the bright lights of Hollywood.

It was the role of Lamont Sanford in Sanford and Son from 1972 to 1977 that cemented his legacy. The show, an American sitcom adaptation of the UK’s Steptoe and Son, was a ratings smash and turned Wilson into a familiar face across millions of living rooms.

It was the role of Lamont Sanford in Sanford and Son from 1972 to 1977 that cemented his legacy. The show, an American sitcom adaptation of the UK’s Steptoe and Son, was a ratings smash and turned Wilson into a familiar face across millions of living rooms.