Demond Wilson, best known for playing Lamont Sanford on the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, has died at age 79. He passed away on January 31, 2026, in Palm Springs, California, from complications related to cancer. His son confirmed the news to TMZ.
Grady Demond Wilson, who professionally went by Demond Wilson, died Friday morning at his home in Palm Springs, California. He was 79 years old. His son, Demond Wilson Jr., told TMZ that Wilson passed from complications related to cancer, though the type was not specified. "I loved him. He was a great man," the son said.
Wilson's publicist, Mark Goldman, issued a statement on behalf of the family: "The family of Demond Wilson is deeply saddened by his passing. At this time, they ask for privacy as they grieve. No further details are available, and the family has no additional information to share. Personally, I had the privilege of working with Demond for 15 years, and his loss is profoundly felt. He was an unbelievable man, and his impact will never be forgotten. The family appreciates the support and understanding of the community during this difficult time."
Born in Valdosta, Georgia, and raised in New York City, Wilson began performing at Harlem's Apollo Theater at age 12. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, he continued his stage work in New York before moving to Los Angeles. Early credits included guest spots on Mission: Impossible and the film Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost Bag Blues. A role on All in the Family led to his casting as Lamont Sanford, the son of Redd Foxx's Fred Sanford, on NBC's Sanford and Son, which aired from 1972 to 1977.
During a 1974 salary dispute, Foxx briefly left the show, making Wilson the temporary lead before Foxx's return the next year. Post-Sanford, Wilson starred as Raymond Ellis in the one-season sitcom Baby... I'm Back! and as Oscar Madison in ABC's 1982 remake The New Odd Couple opposite Ron Glass. His film roles included Full Moon High, Hammerlock, and Me and the Kid in 1993. He appeared in four episodes of Girlfriends and, after a nearly 20-year hiatus, returned in the 2023 drama Eleanor's Bench. Other TV guest spots were on The Love Boat and Today's F.B.I.
Later in life, Wilson became a minister in the Church of God in Christ, wrote Christian books, and was married to model Cicely Johnston, with whom he had six children.
