Sherman Hemsley, RIP

Sherman Hemsley, best known as George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons" and "All in the Family," died today. He was 74. (CNN)

Here is Mr. Hemsley boogying to 1970s prog rock band Nektar.

• [alphasnail]

  Always loved watching him move. One funky dude – wish we had more like him on tv these days

• [sethgodin]

  And you can bet he’s enjoying that penthouse in the sky.

• [BarBarSeven]

  This was great TV before everyone nowadays started talking about the supposed “the best show on TV” *COUGH* Breaking Bad *COUGH*. R.I.P. May he slam as many doors in heaven as heaven has.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKUJl104vnU

  • [Garnett Schuyler]

    Why you gotta hate man?  Breaking Bad is swell.

    • [BarBarSeven]

      The Jeffersons is a TV show that went on  the air 37 years ago and folks still have fond memories of 37 years later. Breaking Bad is “the best” show du jour and in 3 to 7 years nobody will care.  

      • [idiotjed]

         I’ll bet you a dollar that Breaking Bad will still be regarded as one of the all-time best TV series in 2019.

        • [BarBarSeven]

          Nyeah. The same was said about Twin Peaks, The Wire & The Sopranos… None of those shows are still as universally “must see” as they once were.

          In contrast, 37 years later everyone still loves The Jeffersons.

      • [edkedz]

        Way to hijack comments on an obituary into a spotlight on your own precious little hobby-horse, dude.

        Say, Lenny Kravitz’s mother was on the Jeffersons, making this the perfect opportunity to go off on a douchey tangent about how derivative his music is.
        Or not.

• [EvilSpirit]

  I remember what a big deal it was when “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times” came along. The ’70s were a major turning point for the presence of black lead roles on TV.

  Well done, sir.

  • [millie fink]

    Yes. But it’s a  bummer how things turned back from that turning point.

    • [Antinous / Moderator]

      I have no idea what people watch on television now. Would a show about an African-American family living in the projects get enough viewers to last on network TV today? Good Times ran for six seasons. Sanford and Son ran for six seasons. The Jeffersons ran for eleven seasons.

• [franko]

  he was awesome on the Jeffersons — such a great ensemble cast — but let’s not forget where that show came from: he played the same character on All In The Family first, and he was great there, too. RIP, funky, angry, awesome man.

• [unmoris]

  Apparently, he wasn’t feigning love for prog rock. 
  http://badassdigest.com/2012/07/24/sherman-hemsley-had-an-lsd-lab-in-his-basement/

• [bo1n6bo1n6]

  Finally got a piece of the pie. 

• [Uncle Geo]

  Nektar! Now that’s an exclusive club. One of the best bands I’ve ever seen live and certainly the best light show. Gong, Gentle Giant -it doesn’t get more head than that. 

  Wow. A forgotten era of really great music that was never ever played on the radio -in the US anyway because radio sucks here and almost always has. George Jefferson -who knew? Rock on in peace, badass brother.

• [bizwack]

  Movin’ on up indeed.

• [philipdeslippe]

  Sherman Hemsley was also a mystic who was into meditation. A 1982 TV Guide piece on him described him as a “44-year old hippie” who was “up on occult religions.”

  http://thekybalion.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/george-jefferson-and-the-kybalion/

• [Rickenbacker4001]

  Man, watching these shows (Good Times, Jeffersons) as a Croatian/New Zealander and moving to Canada was to me like science fiction when I was a wee lad. Learned lots about race. I come in peace…

• [BombBlastLightingWaltz]

  I still watch the Jefferson’s and Good Times, as well other 70′s tv shows on YouTube.  Great shows, great people. 

  Now Sherman Is in a deluxe apartment in the Sky. Thanks for all the laughs. 

• [Cowicide]

  Sherman was brilliant.