If you don't know who John Witherspoon is, I have to challenge if you know true comedy or not. The actor not only had a career that spanned five decades but also appeared in so many monumental film and TV franchises geared to the black community. On Oct. 30, his family announced that the 77-year-old actor had died.
Witherspoon was a legend in the entertainment industry, appearing in movies such as Boomerang, Friday, Next Friday, House Party, Bulworth, and Dr. Dolittle 2 (to name a few).
In TV, his stand-up comedy appeared in everything from The Richard Pryor Show, Good Times, Black Jesus, The Wayans Bros., and The Tracy Morgan Show. OH, and lest we forget, there's also his voiceover work as Gramps on The Boondocks.
People on Twitter are sharing their memories of Witherspoon, and it is evident that he touched the lives of those he worked with AND the lives of the generations who came up during his career:
His comedy knew no bounds:
NAH THIS THE EPISODE LMFAOOOOO WHEN POPS STOLE THE MIC FROM JERRY AND STARTED SINGING BANG BANG BANG 😭😭😭😭😭😭 R.I.P John Witherspoon 🙏🏾
Neither did his genuineness:
When John Witherspoon left set on the day we recorded the Legends podcast he gave everyone these adorable headshots of his face. Signed “God Bless.” He was so so kind and truly what we all believe POPS to be! Definitely told a few naughty jokes 😂🙏🏾. Bang Bang Bang!
Or his impact:
John Witherspoon brought more than laughter into The Boondocks. He brought pure soul and emotion into the role of Robert Jebediah Freeman. He lived through the most heinous of decades just like the character and The Boondocks will never BE The Boondocks without him.
We remember this song that'll stay in our hearts forever:
#JohnWitherspoon Pops had us all singing “My Love Goes Bang, Bang, Bang” The Wayans Bros.
Ice Cube said what we're all thinking:
Regina King — and all of us — feel like we've lost a father:
My dad, my grandpa, my comedic inspiration! I love you Spoons! Rest In Paradise, King
We always knew to coordinate (if you get it, you get it):
All these 90’s kids with #RIPPOPS BANG BANG BANG But forgot John Witherspoon wasn’t just on Boondocks or The Wayan’s Brothers or Friday. Mr. Witherspoon was Pops in Boomerang and gave us the most iconic fashion advice of the last 30 years. Rest in Power. Rest in Paradise.
At the end of the day, Witherspoon brought a community together:
I’m thinking about the 1 degree of black culture that connects directly to John Witherspoon. Seems like he was there w/ us in the most relevant spaces, but somehow underrated at the same time. A complete original who drew from the well of black culture, connecting us to us 🙏🏿