William Henry Cosby Junior was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to parents William Senior and Anna. His younger siblings were brother Russell, Robert and James. (James died in 1947 from Rheumatic Fever.) The elder William was away most of the time in the U.S. Navy. When he later recounted memories of his father, Cosby said, “Because of my father, I thought my name was ‘Jesus Christ’. My brother Russell thought that his name was Dammit.” With William gone so much, that left Anna Cosby to raise her sons and support them by working as a maid. Even though he enjoyed and excelled at athletics in school, Cosby longed to escape his impoverished surroundings. A little known fact about comedian Bill Cosby is that he quit school in the tenth grade and joined the U.S. Navy. He later completed his high school education through a correspondence course. After his stint in the Navy ended, Cosby enrolled at the Temple University on an athletic scholarship. He wanted to become an athletics teacher. To make money, Bill Cosby worked as a bartender. He entertained his customers with his humor. Cosby is quoted as saying, “Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” It was during this time that Cosby realized he could possibly become a successful stand-up comedian. Read this interesting article and learn some more little known facts about comedian Bill Cosby!
His Career
Cosby continued to hone his comedy skills, and he ended up on “The Tonight Show” and “The Ed Sullivan Show”. The 1960’s became a very busy time for him. He got a lead part in NBC’s hit show “I Spy” in 1965. A little known fact about comedian Bill Cosby is that he almost didn’t get the part in the show because he’s African-American. But, producer Sheldon Leonard ignored the racial tensions that were occurring during that era, and Cosby was cast as originally planned. The show became a success and Cosby won Emmy Awards for his role. He was the first African-American actor to win an Emmy.
The “The Bill Cosby Show” hit the NBC airwaves in 1969. Cosby was also busy creating his wacky “Fat Albert” and friend characters. He recorded several comedy albums including, “I Started Out As a Child” in 1964, “Why Is There Air?” in 1965, and “Revenge” in 1967. Cosby’s albums won him several Grammy Awards.
Bill Cosby also managed to continue his education. A little known fact about comedian Bill Cosby is that, besides earning a Bachelor’s Degree from Temple University, he earned a PhD in Education from the University of Massachusetts.
Movies such as Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let’s Do It Again (1975), and Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), followed, as well as more television shows. Cosby is best-known for his lead role in “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992.
Family Life
Bill Cosby married Camille Olivia Hanks on January 25, 1964. A little known fact about his wife is she is relation to actor Tom Hanks- Read About Him .
The couple raised five children: Erika Ranee, born in 1965; Erinn Charlene, born in 1967; Ennis William, born in 1969; Ensa Camille, born in 1973, and Evin Harrah, born in 1977. Sadly, Cosby’s son Ennis was shot to death in early1997. He had stopped to change a flat tire and was robbed and murdered. A little known fact about comedian Bill Cosby is that he began a scholarship in Ennis’ name at the Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2000. The “Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation” was also started.
And finally, a wise quote from the six-foot-one-inch, cigar-smoking vegetarian who was the long-term spokesman for Jell-O brand foods: “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
