A True Hollywood Pioneer ...

Loonnnng before 'Caitlyn' came along, Flip Wilson's 'Geraldine' tickled the funny bones of many hearts all over the world.  Wilson was a true Hollywood PIONEER.  Flip Wilson  was born December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998.  He was an African American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show. The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards.  

As a troubled teenager going foster hike to foster home to reform school, Wilson found his outlet and survival in comedy.  During the 1960s, Wilson became a regular at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and was a favorite guest on The Tonight Show, Laugh-In, and The Ed Sullivan Show.  In 1970, Wilson won a Grammy Award for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress. He was also regular cast member on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's image on their cover and named him "TV's first black superstar".  Though his show only lasted four years, his groundbreaking appeal, is forever etched in the history books, and he is regarded as a true Comedic genius, paving the way for Richard Pryor(both Sagittarius) Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart and countless others.

On November 25, 1998, Wilson died of liver cancer in Malibu, California, aged 64.