Biografia: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son. Description above from the Wikipedia article Redd Foxx, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.