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Ja’net DuBois, star of ‘Good Times,’ dead at 74

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Big Mongo

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Feb 18, 2020, 6:35:20 PM2/18/20
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https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/janet-dubois-star-from-good-times-dead-at-74/


Ja’net DuBois, star of ‘Good Times,’ dead at 74

Ja’net DuBois, who played Willona Woods on “Good Times,” was found dead Tuesday. She was 74.

The actress died “unexpectedly” in her sleep at her home in Glendale, California, reports TMZ.

It’s unclear who found DuBois’ body Tuesday morning, according to the report, which claims that she appeared to be in good health in recent weeks.

The actress is survived by three children: Yovanne DuBois, Burghardt DuBois and Rani DuBois, who had roles on “Good Times” and “What’s Happening!!”

DuBois was recently seen smiling alongside “Good Times” castmembers Ralph Carter, Jimmie Walker, BernNadette Stanis and Johnny Brown for the 2020 Hollywood Show in Burbank on Feb. 1. “Good Times” ran from 1974 to 1979.

The actress was also known for co-writing and singing “Movin’ on Up,” the theme song for “The Jeffersons.”

DuBois also earned two Emmy Awards for her voiceover work on the animated series “The PJs.” Her big screen credits include “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Tropic Thunder.”

TV Land network, the nostalgia network that airs reruns of “Good Times,” tweeted the following tribute to the DuBois Tuesday: “TV Land remembers ‘Good Times’ star Ja’net Dubois. In addition to being the Evans family’s lovable neighbor, Willona, Dubois composed and sang ‘Movin’ on Up’ the iconic theme song for ‘The Jeffersons.’ She was 74 and will be missed.”

That Derek

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Feb 18, 2020, 6:42:52 PM2/18/20
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Damn-damn-damn-DAMN!!!

David Carson

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Feb 18, 2020, 7:45:19 PM2/18/20
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Beans don't burn on the grill.

Jason

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Feb 19, 2020, 8:54:09 AM2/19/20
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On Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 5:35:20 PM UTC-6, Big Mongo wrote:
> https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/janet-dubois-star-from-good-times-dead-at-74/
>
>
> Ja’net DuBois, star of ‘Good Times,’ dead at 74
>
> Ja’net DuBois, who played Willona Woods on “Good Times,” was found dead Tuesday. She was 74.
>
> The actress died “unexpectedly” in her sleep at her home in Glendale, California, reports TMZ.
>
> It’s unclear who found DuBois’ body Tuesday morning, according to the report, which claims that she appeared to be in good health in recent weeks.
>
> The actress is survived by three children: Yovanne DuBois, Burghardt DuBois and Rani DuBois, who had roles on “Good Times” and “What’s Happening!!”
>
> DuBois was recently seen smiling alongside “Good Times” castmembers Ralph Carter, Jimmie Walker, BernNadette Stanis and Johnny Brown for the 2020 Hollywood Show in Burbank on Feb. 1. “Good Times” ran from 1974 to 1979.
>
> The actress was also known for co-writing and singing “Movin’ on Up,” the theme song for “The Jeffersons.”

She's movin' on up ... to that Deeeelux Apartment in the Skyyyyyyyy!

leno...@yahoo.com

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Feb 19, 2020, 4:28:17 PM2/19/20
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> DuBois was recently seen smiling alongside “Good Times” castmembers Ralph Carter, Jimmie Walker, BernNadette Stanis and Johnny Brown for the 2020 Hollywood Show in Burbank on Feb. 1. “Good Times” ran from 1974 to 1979.


Somehow, I thought Carter had died. Glad he hasn't.

(John Amos is also alive, but of course the producers wouldn't want HIM at a reunion...and he'd probably decline anyway.)


Lenona.

ericbr...@gmail.com

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Feb 19, 2020, 5:08:52 PM2/19/20
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"John Amos is also alive, but of course the producers wouldn't want HIM at a reunion...and he'd probably decline anyway."

Amos was a huge part of the recent Good Times live episode, with Lear right there.

Bryan Styble

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Feb 19, 2020, 6:21:11 PM2/19/20
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Hey Lenora, or anyone else who is familiar with what she alluded to re "Good Times" bad vibes offstage:

Why might anyone in the cast or crew not like John Amos?

He's always seemed like a cheerful guy to me, although granted my exposure is limited; never seen him on a chat show, and my viewing of the sitcom was only occasional, allergic as I am to even metaphorical "dy-oh-MITE!"*.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
_____________________________________________________________
* This, despite being a HUGE fan of Jimmy Walker's usually incisive yet always upbeat standup comedy work. And, by happenstance, working out almost daily 1983-86 at the branch of our common health club Walker regularly used--which back in the early '80s was called Holiday Spa, and then later and maybe still is branded Bally's--on the east side of Bundy Drive** just north of Olympic. Oh, and right next door to the south, sharing the parking lot is, as it happens, the longtime HQ of Investor's Business Daily, and opposite all this, directly across Bundy over on the west side of Bunds was Lion's Gate Films, Hollywood hero Robert Altman's small but mightily influential studio, a property nowadays partially occupied by Fox Sports--though I don't know offhand if that property is the Fox facility containing the particular studio where Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and my fave Howie Long do their zany schtick.
** Yep, the same West Los Angeles street where Orenthal James Simpson*** was, uh, working the night of Sunday, June 12, 1994, except that that all went down--along with Ron and then Nicole--about a country mile to the north and on the other, west, side of Bundy from that Bally's/Holiday.
*** Okay, sports fans, here's an O.J. joke you may not have heard: If it HAD to happen that a former NFL star would flip out and kill his wife...why couldn't it have been Frank Gifford?

Bryan Styble

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Feb 19, 2020, 6:27:10 PM2/19/20
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Yikes, I did it AGAIN; so sorry!

Still unsuccessfully TRYING to get down that it's Lenona, not Lenora.

Never again! Nevermore!! (Uh, I guess that's LENORE...)

STYBLE/Florida

Big Mongo

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Feb 19, 2020, 6:41:20 PM2/19/20
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On Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 6:27:10 PM UTC-5, Bryan Styble wrote:
> Yikes, I did it AGAIN; so sorry!


https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/john-amos-says-he-was-kicked-off-good-times-because-he-1790886594

RH Draney

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Feb 19, 2020, 7:15:16 PM2/19/20
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On 2/19/2020 4:21 PM, Bryan Styble wrote:

> *** Okay, sports fans, here's an O.J. joke you may not have heard: If it HAD to happen that a former NFL star would flip out and kill his wife...why couldn't it have been Frank Gifford?

Somewhere around here I've got a DVD of classic TV commercials,
including a long one starring Maxine Gifford...I think it's about her
making the sponsor's coffee for her loving husband....r

Travoltron

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Feb 19, 2020, 7:57:00 PM2/19/20
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On 2/19/2020 3:21 PM, Bryan Styble wrote:
> Hey Lenora, or anyone else who is familiar with what she alluded to re "Good Times" bad vibes offstage:
>
> Why might anyone in the cast or crew not like John Amos?

The official story is that Amos didn't like the way JJ Walker was being
written; that JJ was cooning it up.

But I believe that Amos (and the Florida actress, I forget her name)
were jealous of JJ. The two of them were under the impression that they
were the stars of the show. But JJ was a breakout character. And the
writers gave JJ the best lines, saying that anything JJ said was
guaranteed to get laughs.

But this kind of acrimony is not uncommon in classic TV from what I
understand. I remember when Valerie Harper got killed off her own show,
Valerie's Family.

That Derek

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Feb 19, 2020, 8:08:47 PM2/19/20
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John Amos had already reconciled with the Norman Lear machine long before the recent live re-creations.

In the early 1990s, there was a short-lived CBS sitcom titled "704 Hauser Street" in which Amos was the head of an African-American family who, by that point, was residing at Archie Bunker's old address.

IIRC, Archie had moved away and his grandson Joey Stivic showed up unexpectedly reques ting a tour of his grandparents' old domicile. The grown dark-haired actor looked nothing like the 8 year-old blonde kid who portrayed the boy from the circa 1983 Sally Struthers "Gloria" spinoff with the veterinarian.

Bermuda999

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Feb 19, 2020, 8:29:36 PM2/19/20
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John Amos appeared on the Kimmel remake special and played a city councilman. He also sat with Lear between scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvjM8X4UR64

Jimmie Walker was there also (and has some complaints about the recently deceased Ja’net DuBois)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5fWlWcMU6o&list=PLSZ-OLXEesJ2UET14Ryzz7-mLENC-JWAT&index=3

A Friend

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Feb 20, 2020, 7:38:23 AM2/20/20
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In article <c25e331c-c305-4082...@googlegroups.com>, Big
Nevertheless, Lear cast him as the lead in 1994's "704 Hauser," the
short-lived successor series to "All in the Family."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108682/

Amos was dead-on right about "Good Times" having become a lint trap for
J.J.'s mugging and catch phrases. People don't remember how bad the
show became.

leno...@yahoo.com

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Feb 20, 2020, 2:24:19 PM2/20/20
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On Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 5:08:52 PM UTC-5, ericbr...@gmail.com wrote:
> "John Amos is also alive, but of course the producers wouldn't want HIM at a reunion...and he'd probably decline anyway."
>
> Amos was a huge part of the recent Good Times live episode, with Lear right there.

OK, somehow I missed that.

But I wasn't eager to watch the live episode - I couldn't even enjoy watching the recent live revival of "All in the Family" either. (For one thing, despite Woody Harrelson's being 58, he looked a lot closer to 38, IMO, while Carroll O'Connor was 46 in 1971 but could have passed for, oh, 60? Of course, O'Connor's white hair and weight made a difference - but as it happens, Jean Stapleton looked older than her 47 years as well.)


Lenona.

leno...@yahoo.com

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Feb 20, 2020, 2:38:51 PM2/20/20
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On Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 7:38:23 AM UTC-5, A Friend wrote:

>
> Amos was dead-on right about "Good Times" having become a lint trap for
> J.J.'s mugging and catch phrases. People don't remember how bad the
> show became.

Good thing I never had to watch the later episodes - for complicated reasons I won't get into.

As it happens, 10-plus years ago, in the comic "The Boondocks," Huey was trying to come up with more nominees for the "Most Embarrassing Black Folks in Entertainment Awards." He asks Granddad if he has any in mind. Granddad says yes, but can't quite remember the actor's name. He points to the TV. Huey says (not verbatim):

"Granddad, you're watching JJ on 'Good Times.'"

GRANDDAD: "Well, I'm STILL embarrassed!"


Lenona.

David Carson

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Feb 23, 2020, 10:18:41 PM2/23/20
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On Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:35:18 -0800 (PST), Big Mongo <c.h.f...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/janet-dubois-star-from-good-times-dead-at-74/
>
>
>Ja’net DuBois, star of ‘Good Times,’ dead at 74
>
>Ja’net DuBois, who played Willona Woods on “Good Times,” was found dead Tuesday. She was 74.

Her DOB has been disputed for a long time. Most sources use 5 August 1945,
thus producing the age of 74. This would make her 4 years older than
Jimmie Walker and 4 years younger than John Amos. I was convinced a few
years ago to change her DOB in my data base to 5 August 1938, which means
she was 81 when she died. That would make her a year older than Amos, a
year younger than Johnny Brown, and 11 years older than Walker.

Here's another way of looking at it, using their ages as of 1 January 1974
- the year "Good Times" premiered, and as of 1 January 1979, the year it
ended.
1974 1979
Rolle 53 58
DuBois38 35 40
Amos 34 (39)
Brown (36) 41
DuBois45 28 33
Walker 24 29
Stanis 20 25
Carter 12 17

There is also this:
https://books.google.ca/books?id=ya8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61
which is from a 26 October 1987 issue of Jet magazine announcing the death
of her 36-year-old son, which corresponds to a 1950 or 1951 birthdate for
him, making a 1938 birth for DuBois incredible and putting a 1945 birth
into all-time world record territory.

Wikipedia editors claim to have inconclusive evidence of a 1932 birth and
1950 marriage for her, which, if correct, would make her 7 years older
than Amos, 5 years older than Brown, 17 years older than Walker, and 87 at
death.

David Carson

--
Dead or Alive Data Base
http://www.doadb.com

David Carson

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Feb 23, 2020, 10:20:59 PM2/23/20
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On Sun, 23 Feb 2020 21:18:36 -0600, David Carson <da...@neosoft.com> should
have written:

1974 1979
Rolle 53 58
Brown (36) 41
DuBois38 35 40
Amos 34 (39)
DuBois45 28 33
Walker 24 29
Stanis 20 25
Carter 12 17

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