Blast from past

A group of area churches has banded together to sponsor a faith-based gathering over three nights, and the keynote speaker will be actor-turned-church pastor Minister Demond Wilson, better known as Lamont, the younger half of the popular 1972 television series "Sanford and Son" costarring the late, great Redd Foxx.

(My Grandma Potempa and Auntie Lilly loved to watch this show every Friday night.)

According to information I received from Minister Alvin Murphy, the president and founder of Jehovah Nissi Inc. (which means God is our protector and our banner), Elohim Inc. (which means God is our creator of all things) and Immanuel Inc. (which means God is with us), all based in Gary, Wilson will speak at the free event at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, at Zion M.B. Church, 3939 Drummond in East Chicago, where Rev. JC Wade serves as pastor. For more info, call (219) 981-8666.

Wilson, 61, decided to fade from acting and accepted "his call" as a church minister in 1983 and then formed "Restoration House of America" in 1995 for the rehabilitation of former prison inmates.

He's also working on his autobiography, which he's titled "Second Banana: The Bitter Sweet Memories of 'Sanford and Son.' "

On the subject of this popular sitcom from yesteryear, here are a few of my favorite facts and memories:

* In the midst of filming episodes for the 1974 season, Foxx had a feud with NBC when he demanded a salary the network could not afford. Unable to reach an agreement, Foxx walked off the show for the rest of the season and the producers were forced to create episodes around his absence. The continuity of the show explained that Fred Sanford was away in St. Louis attending his cousin's funeral and leaving his friend Grady played by Whitman Mayo was in charge of the business. Oddly enough, this was the highest-rated season of the show's entire run.

* The actual title of the all-so-familiar theme song from the show is "The Streetbeater," written by Quincy Jones.

* Foxx was a huge fan of the '30s vocal group The Ink Spots and sang many of their songs on the show. NBC would not pay the royalties, because the cost was astronomical. So out of his love for the group, Foxx paid them out of his own pocket.

* Despite his family-friendly facade for television, Foxx, who eventually faced financial ruin late in his career, was known for his "blue" humor during his live stage stand-up act, which earned significant dollars as a popular Las Vegas headliner.

* Foxx and his foil on the show, played by LaWanda Page, had been friends since childhood, and she was his first and only choice to play Fred's sister-in-law Esther. Besides Esther, Fred had four other sisters-in-law, Flossie, Minnie, Ethel and Hazel.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

celebBirthdays

Singer Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires is 84. Singer Tony Bennett is 82. Actor Martin Sheen is 68. Singer Beverly Lee of The Shirelles and Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart are 67. Bassist B.B. Dickerson of War is 59. Movie director John Landis and actress JoMarie Payton ("Family Matters") are 58. Actor Jay North ("Dennis the Menace") is 57. Guitarist Randy Scruggs is 55. Actor Philip Casnoff ("North and South") is 55. Actor John C. McGinley ("Scrubs") is 49. Bassist Lee Rocker (Stray Cats) and actress Molly Hagan ("Herman's Head") are 47. Singer-guitarist James Hetfield of Metallica and singer Ed Roland of Collective Soul and actors Isaiah Washington ("Grey's Anatomy," "Soul Food") and Carlo Imperato ("Fame") are 45. Keyboardist Dean Sams of Lonestar is 42. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter of Deftones is 38. Musician Spinderella of Salt-N-Pepa is

37. Actress Brigid Brannagh ("Army Wives") is 36. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 31. Actress Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") is 29. Singer Holly Arnstein of Dream is 23.