View source for Bill Cosby

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{{Infobox actor
| name        = Bill Cosby
| image       = BillCosby.jpg
| imagesize   =
| caption     =Cosby speaks at [[Douglass High School (Georgia)|Frederick Douglass High School]] in Atlanta, October 3, 2006
| pseudonym   =
| birthname  = William Henry Cosby, Jr.
| birthdate  = {{Birth date and age|mf=no|1937|7|12}}
| birthplace = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], [[United States|U.S.]]| occupation = Actor, 
| deathplace  = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2010|2|06}}
| deathplace = [[New Yoek, New York]], [[United States|U.S.]]| occupation = Actor, 
comedian, author, producer, musician, activist
| yearsactive      = 1962–2010
| spouse      = Camille Hanks<br/>(1964–present)<br/>Five children
| website     = http://www.billcosby.com/ 
}}
'''William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.''' (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]''. He later starred in his own series, the [[situation comedy]] ''[[The Bill Cosby Show]]'', in 1969. He was one of the major characters on the [[children's television]] series ''[[The Electric Company (1971 TV series)|The Electric Company]]'' for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series ''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]'', about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby has also acted in a number of films.

During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered to be one of the decade's defining sitcoms, ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', which aired eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper-middle-class [[African-American]] family. He also produced the [[spin-off]] sitcom ''[[A Different World (TV series)|A Different World]]'', which became second to ''The Cosby Show'' in ratings. In the 1990s, he starred in the sitcom ''[[Cosby]]'', which aired from 1996 to 2000, and during the show's last two seasons hosted ''[[Kids Say the Darndest Things]]''.

His good-natured, fatherly image has made him a popular personality and garnered him the nickname of "America's Dad".{{cn}} He has been a sought-after spokesman, and has endorsed a number of products, including [[Jell-O#Pudding|Jell-O pudding]], [[Eastman Kodak#Film|Kodak film]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Texas Instruments]], and [[Coca-Cola]], including [[New Coke]]. In 2002, scholar [[Molefi Kete Asante]] included him in his book, the ''[[100 Greatest African Americans]]''.<ref>Asante, Molefi Kete (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. [[Amherst, New York|Amherst]], New York. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-57392-963-8.</ref>

In 1976, Cosby earned a [[Doctor of Education]] degree from the [[University of Massachusetts]]. For his doctoral research, he wrote a dissertation entitled, "An Integration of the Visual Media Via 'Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids' Into the Elementary School Curriculum as a Teaching Aid and Vehicle to Achieve Increased Learning".<ref>Copies of his dissertation are available from [[University Microfilms International]] as document number [http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb/details?doc_no=7706369 7706369].</ref> 

==Early life==
Cosby was born and raised in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania. He is one of four sons born to Anna Pearl (née Hite), a maid, and William Henry Cosby, Sr., who served as a sailor in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/57/Bill-Cosby.html |title=Bill Cosby Biography (1937-) |publisher=Filmreference.com |date= |accessdate=2009-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.genealogymagazine.com/billcosby.html |title=A Glimpse at Bill Cosby's Virginia Roots |publisher=Genealogymagazine.com |date= |accessdate=2009-09-18}}</ref> During much of his early childhood, Cosby's father was away in the [[United States armed forces|U.S. armed forces]] and spent several years fighting in [[World War II]]. As a student, he described himself as a [[class clown]]. Cosby was the captain of the baseball and [[track and field athletics|track and field]] teams at Mary Channing Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia, as well as the class president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/bill-cosby/person/4026/trivia.html |title=Bill Cosby Trivia |accessdate=2008-05-04 |work=TV.com }}</ref> Early on, though, teachers noted his propensity for clowning around rather than studying.<ref>{{cite news | title=Bill Cosby and Me - Behind the Lens | date=2007-09-11 | url =http://blog.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-lens/2006/12/bill_cosby_and_me.html | accessdate = 2008-05-04 | language = }}</ref> At Fitz Simmons Junior High, Cosby began acting in plays as well as continuing his devotion to playing sports.<ref name="autogenerated1">Ghare, Madhavi. {{cite news | title=Bill Cosby Biography | publisher=Buzzle.com | url =http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bill-cosby-biography.html | accessdate = 2008-05-04 | language = }}</ref> He went on to [[Central High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)|Central High School]], an academically challenging [[magnet school]], but his full schedule of playing football, basketball, baseball, and running track made it hard for him.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> In addition, Cosby was working before and after school, selling produce, shining shoes, and stocking shelves at a supermarket to help out the family.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> He transferred to [[Germantown High School (Philadelphia)|Germantown High School]], but failed the [[tenth grade]].<ref name="William Morris Agency">[http://www.wma.com/bill_cosby/bio/BILL_COSBY.pdf William Morris Agency], retrieved May 31, 2006</ref> Instead of repeating, he got a job as an apprentice at a shoe repair shop, which he liked, but could not see himself doing the rest of his life.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Subsequently, he joined the Navy, serving at the [[Marine Corps Base Quantico]], Virginia, [[Naval Station Argentia]], Newfoundland and at the [[National Naval Medical Center|Bethesda Naval Hospital]] in Maryland.<ref name="Military.com">
{{cite web|accessdate=2007-05-31
 |url=http://www.military.com/Careers/Content1?file=trans_bill_cosby.htm&area=Content
 |title=Transition Profile &mdash; Bill Cosby
 |work=Veterans Careers
 |publisher=Military.com}}</ref>

While serving in the Navy as a [[United States Navy Hospital Corpsman|Hospital Corpsman]] for four years, Cosby worked in physical therapy with some seriously injured [[Korean War|Korean War casualties]],<ref name="Military.com">{{cite web|accessdate=2007-05-31 |url=http://www.military.com/Careers/Content1?file=trans_bill_cosby.htm&area=Content |title=Transition Profile &mdash; Bill Cosby |work=Veterans Careers |publisher=Military.com}}</ref> which helped him discover what was important to him. Then he immediately realized the need for an education, and finished his equivalency diploma via [[Distance education|correspondence courses]].<ref name="Kennedy Center">[http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3713&source_type=A Kennedy Center], retrieved May 31, 2006</ref> He then won a track and field scholarship to Philadelphia's [[Temple University]] in 1961-62,<ref name="ESPER">[http://esperstamps.org/t61.htm ESPER], retrieved May 31, 2006</ref> and studied physical education while running track and playing fullback on the [[American football|football]] team. Cosby also joined the school's chapter of the [[Omega Psi Phi]] fraternity.{{cn}}

Cosby loved humor, and he called himself the class clown. Even as he progressed through his undergraduate studies, Cosby had continued to hone his talent for humor, joking with fellow enlistees in the service and then with college friends. When he began bar tending at the Cellar, a club in [[Philadelphia]], to earn money, he became fully aware of his ability to make people laugh. He worked his customers and saw his tips increase, then ventured on to the stage.<ref name="Verve Records">[http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist.aspx?ob=per&src=prd&aid=2842 Verve Records], retrieved May 31, 2006</ref>

Cosby left Temple to pursue a career in comedy, though he would return to collegiate studies in the 1970s. He lined up gigs at clubs in Philadelphia and soon was off to [[New York City]], where he appeared at [[The Gaslight Cafe]] starting in 1962.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> He lined up dates in [[Chicago]], [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[San Francisco]], and [[Washington, D.C.]], and elsewhere. He received national exposure on [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' in the summer of 1963 and released ''[[Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right!]]'', the first of a series of popular comedy albums in 1964.

While many comics were using the growing freedom of that decade to explore controversial, sometimes risqué, material, Cosby was making his reputation with humorous recollections of his childhood. Many Americans wondered about the absence of race as a topic in Cosby's stories. As Cosby's success grew he had to defend his choice of material regularly; as he argued, "A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that ''we are alike. Right?'' So I figure this way I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy."<ref>{{cite book  | last = Smith | first = Ronald L. | title = Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend | publisher = [[Prometheus Books]] | date = 1997 | page = 57 | isbn = 1-57392-126-1}}</ref>

[[Carl Reiner]] described, at the awarding to Cosby of the [[Mark Twain Prize]] in 2009, a step in Cosby's career. Reiner's son [[Rob Reiner]], then in his early [[Adolescence|teens]], delivered what the father regards as a word-for-word rendition of Cosby's performance on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' of [[Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right!#Background|the "Right!" routine, from his "Noah" series]] that also appears on the 1963 album ''Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow...Right!''. The father's interest led him first to obtain the video-taped performance, and then to propose Cosby as a guest for ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]''. Asked about whether the comic could [[acting|act]], he asserted anyone who could pull off the role of [[Abrahamic religions#The Supreme Deity|The Lord]] in the "Right!" routine must be a skilled actor.{{cn}}{{or}} Cosby's official agency biography differs, saying Carl Reiner had caught Cosby's act in [[Pittsburgh]] "and introduced Cosby to producer [[Sheldon Leonard]], who signed him to star in the ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' series."<ref name="William Morris Agency" />

==''I Spy''==
Cosby's "Van Dyke" success influenced those planning the ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' [[espionage]] adventure series inspired by the [[James Bond]] films.  They asked "why [the agents] have to both be [[white people|white]]".  In 1965 Cosby became the first African-American co-star (paired with [[Robert Culp]]) in a [[dramatic programming|dramatic television series]], and NBC became the first to present a series so cast. At first Cosby and NBC executives were concerned that some affiliates might be unwilling to carry the series. At the beginning of the 1965 season four stations declined the show; they were in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.{{cn}} But the rest of the country{{Vague|date=November 2009}} was taken with the show's exotic locales and the authentic chemistry between the stars, and it became one of the ratings hits of that television season. ''I Spy'' finished among the twenty most-watched shows that year, and Cosby would be honored with three consecutive [[Emmy Award]]s for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]].

Throughout the series' three-year run Cosby was repeatedly confronted with the question of race. For him it was enough that ''I Spy'' portrayed two men who worked as equals unhindered by race, but critics{{Vague|date=November 2009}}<!-- Are we talking about TV critics or social activists with criticism? --> took the show to task for not having a black character engage with the racial issues that inflamed the country at that time. Cosby was relieved{{Vague|date=November 2009}}<!-- Why is this juxtaposed with the criticism? Was he just dissatisfied with that kind of time demands and work content, or was he tired of the criticism, and -- in light of other good ways to use his time -- free of misgivings about the gig ending? --> when the series ended, enabling him to concentrate on his family and to return to live performing.

During the run of the series, Cosby had continued to do stand-up comedy performances, and released a half-dozen record albums. He also began to dabble in singing, recording ''[[Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings]]'' in 1967, which provided him with a hit single with his recording of "Li'l Ole Man". He would record several more musical albums into the early 1970s, but he continued to record primarily stand-up comedy work.

==''Fat Albert'', ''The Bill Cosby Show'', and the 1970s==
Cosby still pursued a variety of television projects: as a regular guest host on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' and as the star of an annual special for NBC. He returned with another series in 1969, ''[[The Bill Cosby Show]]'', a situation comedy that ran for two seasons. Cosby played a physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school.  While only a modest critical success, the show was a ratings hit, finishing eleventh in its first season.

After ''The Bill Cosby Show'' left the air, Cosby returned to his education. He began graduate work at the [[University of Massachusetts]], qualifying under a special program that allowed for the admission of students who had not completed their bachelor's degrees, but who had had a significant impact on society and/or their communities through their careers. This professional interest led to his involvement in the [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] series ''[[The Electric Company (1971 TV series)|The Electric Company]]'', for which he recorded several segments teaching reading skills to young children.

In 1972, Cosby received an [[Master of Arts (postgraduate)|MA]] from the University of Massachusetts and was also back in prime time with a variety series, ''The New Bill Cosby Show''. However, this time he met with poor ratings, and the show lasted only a season. More successful was a Saturday morning show, ''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]'', hosted by Cosby and based on his own childhood, running from 1972 to 1979, then from 1979 to 1984 as ''The New Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids''. Some schools used the program as a teaching tool, and Cosby himself wrote his dissertation on it in order to obtain his doctorate, also from the University of Massachusetts, in Education in 1976.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref>His Ed.D is mistakenly thought by many to be honorary. The degree was earned, and the real dissertation can easily be found in the UMI ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts as pub. no. AAT 7706369</ref> Subsequently, Temple University, where Cosby had begun but never finished his undergraduate studies, would grant him his [[bachelor's degree]] on the basis of "life experience".

Also during the 1970s, Cosby and other African American actors, including [[Sidney Poitier]], joined forces to make some successful [[comedy film]]s that countered the violent "[[blaxploitation]]" films of the era. ''[[Uptown Saturday Night]]'' (1974) and ''[[Let's Do It Again (1975 film)|Let's Do It Again]]'' (1975) were generally praised, but much of Cosby's film work has fallen flat. ''[[Mother, Jugs & Speed]]'' (1976) costarring [[Raquel Welch]] and [[Harvey Keitel]]; ''[[A Piece of the Action (film)|A Piece of the Action]]'', with Poitier; and ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'', a compilation of four [[Neil Simon]] plays, were all panned. In addition, ''[[Cos (TV series)|Cos]]'' (1976) an hour-long variety show featuring puppets, sketches, and musical numbers, was canceled within the year. Cosby was also a regular on children's [[Public broadcasting|public television]] programs starting in the 1970s, hosting the "[[Picture Pages]]" segments that lasted into the early 1980s.

==''The Cosby Show'' and the 1980s==
Cosby's greatest television success came in September, 1984 with the debut of ''[[The Cosby Show]]''. The program aired weekly on NBC and went on to become the highest ranking sitcom of all time. For Cosby, the new situation comedy was a response to the increasingly violent and vulgar fare the networks usually offered. Cosby is an advocate for humor that is both humorous and family-oriented. He insisted on and received total creative control of the series, and he was involved in every aspect of the series. Not surprisingly, the show had parallels to Cosby's actual family life: like the characters Cliff and Claire Huxtable, Cosby and his wife Camille were college educated, financially successful, and had five children. Essentially a throwback to the wholesome family situation comedy, ''The Cosby Show'' was unprecedented in its portrayal of an intelligent, affluent, nonstereotypical African-American family.

Much of the material from the [[Television pilot|pilot]] and first season of ''The Cosby Show'' was taken from his then popular video ''[[Bill Cosby: Himself]]'', released in 1983. The series was an immediate success, debuting near the top of the ratings and staying there for most of its long run. ''The Cosby Show'' is one of only two [[Television in the United States|American programs]] that have been #1 in the [[Nielsen ratings]] for five consecutive seasons, along with ''[[All in the Family]]''. ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine called the show "revolutionary", and ''[[Newsday]]'' concurred that it was a "real breakthrough."

In 1987, Cosby attempted to return to the big screen with the spy spoof ''[[Leonard Part 6]]''. Although Cosby himself was producer and wrote the story,<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093405/ Leonard Part 6 (1987)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> he realized during production that the film was not going to be what he wanted and publicly denounced it, warning audiences to "stay away".{{cn}}

==In the 1990s and 2000s==
[[Image:Bill-Cosby.JPG|right|thumb|240px|Bill Cosby's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].]]
After ''The Cosby Show'' went off the air in 1992, Cosby embarked on a number of other projects, including a [[revival (television)|revival]] of the classic [[Groucho Marx]] game show ''[[You Bet Your Life#1992 Bill Cosby version|You Bet Your Life]]'' (1992–93) along with the [[Television movie|TV-movie]] ''[[I Spy Returns]]'' (1994) and ''[[The Cosby Mysteries]]'' (1994). In the mid-1990s, he appeared as a detective in [[black-and-white]] [[film noir]]-themed commercials for [[Turner Classic Movies]]. He also made appearances in three more films, ''[[Ghost Dad]]'' (1990), ''[[The Meteor Man (film)|The Meteor Man]]'' (1993); and ''[[Jack (film)|Jack]]'' (1996); in addition to being interviewed in [[Spike Lee]]'s ''[[4 Little Girls]]'' (1997), a documentary about the [[16th Street Baptist Church bombing|racist bombing]] of a [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], Alabama, church in 1963. Also in 1996, he started up a new show for CBS, ''[[Cosby]]'', again co-starring [[Phylicia Rashād]], his onscreen wife on ''The Cosby Show''. Cosby co-produced the show for [[Carsey-Werner Productions]]. The show was based on the British program ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]''.{{cn}} It centered on Cosby as Hilton Lucas, an iconoclastic senior citizen who tries to find a new job after being "downsized", and in the meantime, gets on his wife's nerves. [[Madeline Kahn]] costarred as Rashād's goofy business partner. Cosby was hired by CBS to be the official "spokesman" for the [[WWJ-TV]] during an advertising campaign from 1995 to 1998. In addition, Cosby in 1998 became the host of ''[[Kids Say the Darndest Things]]''. After four seasons, ''Cosby'' was canceled. The last episode aired April 28, 2000. ''Kids Say the Darndest Things'' was also canceled the same year. Cosby continued to work with CBS through a development deal and other projects.

A series for preschoolers, ''[[Little Bill (TV series)|Little Bill]]'', made its debut on [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] in 1999. The network renewed the popular program in November 2000. In 2001, at an age when many give serious consideration to retirement, Cosby's agenda included the publication of a new book, as well as delivering the commencement addresses at [[Morris Brown College]], Ohio State University, and at [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]].<ref name="rpi_grad">[http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=469&setappvar=page(1) ''Bill Cosby to be Rensselaer’s Commencement Speaker'']</ref> Also that year, he signed a deal with [[20th Century Fox]] to develop a [[live-action]] feature film centering on the popular [[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids|Fat Albert]] character from his 1970s cartoon series. ''[[Fat Albert (film)|Fat Albert]]'' was released in theaters in December 2004. In May 2007 he spoke at the Commencement of [[High Point University]].

In the summer of 2009, Cosby hosted a comedy gala at Montreal's [[Just for Laughs]] comedy festival, the world's largest.

==Personal life==
[[Image:Playboy Jazz Festival 2007.jpg|240px|thumb|Bill Cosby on stage at the 2007 [[Playboy Jazz Festival]] in Los Angeles]]

Cosby met his wife Camille Hanks while he was performing stand-up in Washington, D.C., in the early 1960s, and she was a student at the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]]. They married on January 25, 1964, and had five children: daughters Erika Ranee (b. 1965), Erinn Chalene (b. 1966), Ensa Camille (b. 1973), and Evin Harrah (b. 1976), and son [[Ennis Cosby|Ennis William]] (1969–1997). His son Ennis was shot dead while changing a flat tire on the side of the [[Interstate 405 (California)|Interstate 405]] in [[Los Angeles]] on January 16, 1997.

Bill Cosby is an active alumnus supporter of his [[alma mater]], [[Temple University]], and in particular its men's basketball team, whose games Cosby frequently attends.

Cosby is a devoted fan of the [[Philadelphia Eagles]]. In 2002, when both the Eagles' starting and backup quarterbacks were injured, Cosby sent a letter to head coach [[Andy Reid]], joking that he was ready to play if needed.{{cn}}

Cosby also attends many public events, such as the 100th [[Millrose Games]] at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York on February 2, 2007. His love for track and field athletics has also been shown with his long time sponsorship, and on-track work with the [[Penn Relays]]. For many years, Cosby has been known to work the finish line at [[Franklin Field]] and congratulate athletes. In 1988, Cosby ran the anchor leg at Penn in a two team race on a 4x400 relay. In a unique twist, Cosby's team was far ahead and his premature celebration was broken when Olympic medalist [[Valerie Brisco-Hooks]], the other team's anchor leg, patted him on the "boom-boom" and passed him en route to victory. The event ended up as a scene on ''The Cosby Show'' showing Cosby, as Dr. Huxtable, losing an important grudge match race against the team of former college rival Col. Sanford "Tailwind" Turner (USMC).
[[File:Thecoz.jpg|thumb|Cosby at [[Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa]], May 2009]]
Cosby enjoys [[cigar]]s, a habit he picked up from [[Groucho Marx]],{{cn}} one of his comedy influences.

Cosby maintains homes in [[Shelburne, Massachusetts|Shelburne]], Massachusetts, and [[Cheltenham, Pennsylvania|Cheltenham]], Pennsylvania.{{cn}}

During the [[2009 NFL Draft]], he celebrated the draft with former [[Texas Longhorns]]' [[wide receiver]] [[Quan Cosby]] as a means of support, though the two are not related.<ref>{{cite news | first=Suzanne | last=Halliburton | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=For Quan and comedian, draft will be the Cosby show | date=2009-04-23 | publisher= | url =http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/04/23/0423cosby.html | work =[[Austin American-Statesman]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-11-20 | language = }}</ref> He even wore a [[Temple University]] helmet and jersey.

Bill Cosby has hosted the Los Angeles [[Playboy Jazz Festival]] since 1979. An avid musician, he's best known as a jazz drummer although he can be seen playing bass guitar with [[Jerry Lewis]] and [[Sammy Davis, Jr.]] on Hugh Hefner's 70s talk show. His ribald story "The Regular Way" was featured in Playboy's December 1968 issue.<ref>Cosby, Bill. "The Regular Way", page 115, ''Playboy'', December 1968</ref>

==Humanitarian causes==
Cosby has become an active member of The [[Jazz Foundation of America]].<ref name="Cosby and the JFA ">famegame.com. 2009-13-10. URL: http://www.famegame.com/person/Bill_Cosby. Accessed: 2009-13-10. (Archived by famegame.com at http://www.famegame.com/person/Bill_Cosby)</ref> Cosby became involved with the foundation in 2004. For several years, he has been a featured host for its annual benefit, [[A Great Night in Harlem]], at the [[Apollo Theater]] in New York City.<ref name="Cosby at the Apollo ">bmi.com. 2009-13-10. URL: http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233021. Accessed: 2009-13-10. (Archived by bmi.com at http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233021)</ref><ref name="Cosby Hosts ">nytimes.com. 2009-13-10. URL: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E5DB1031F934A25756C0A9619C8B63. Accessed: 2009-13-10. (Archived by nytimes.com at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E5DB1031F934A25756C0A9619C8B63)</ref>

== Awards and honors ==
* On October 27, 2009 Cosby was presented with the 12th annual [[Mark Twain]] Prize for American Humor.
* In a British 2005 poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', he was voted among the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
* He received [[Kennedy Center Honors]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3713&source_type=A |title=BIOGRAPHY OF BILL COSBY |accessdate=2007-02-23 |publisher=[[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]]}}</ref>
* He was awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] in 2002 for his contributions to [[television]].
* He won the 2003 [[Bob Hope Humanitarian Award]].
* In 1969, he received his third "Man of the Year" award from [[Harvard University]]'s performance group, the [[Hasty Pudding Theatricals]].

===Emmys===
{{Awards
| award   = Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series
| year    = [[18th Primetime Emmy Awards|1966]]
| title   = [[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]
| role    = Alexander Scott
| name    = [[Primetime Emmy Award|Primetime Emmy]]s
| year2   = [[19th Primetime Emmy Awards|1967]]
| title2  = I Spy
| role2   = Alexander Scott
| year3   = [[20th Primetime Emmy Awards|1968]]
| title3  = I Spy
| role3   = Alexander Scott
}}<br/>
{{Awards
| award   = Outstanding Variety Or Musical Program
| year    = [[21st Primetime Emmy Awards|1969]]
| title   = The Bill Cosby Special 
| name    = Primetime Emmys
}}

===Grammys===
{{Awards
| award   = [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album|Best Comedy Performance]]
| year    = [[Grammy Awards of 1965|1965]]
| title   = [[I Started Out as a Child]]
| name    = [[Grammy Award]]s
| year2   = [[Grammy Awards of 1966|1966]] 
| title2  = [[Why Is There Air?]]
| year3   = [[Grammy Awards of 1967|1967]]
| title3  = [[Wonderfulness]]
| year4   = [[Grammy Awards of 1968|1968]]
| title4  = [[Revenge (Bill Cosby album)|Revenge]]
| year5   = [[Grammy Awards of 1969|1969]]
| title5  = [[To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With]]
| year6   = [[Grammy Awards of 1970|1970]]
| title6  = [[Sports (Bill Cosby album)|Sports]]
| year7   = [[Grammy Awards of 1987|1987]]
| title7  = [[Those of You with or Without Children, You'll Understand]]
}}<br/>
{{Awards
| award   = [[Grammy Award for Best Album for Children|Best Recording for Children]] 
| year    = [[Grammy Awards of 1972|1972]]
| title   = [[Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs]]
| name    = Grammy Awards
| year2   = [[Grammy Awards of 1973|1973]]
| title2  = [[The Electric Company (1971 TV series)#Music|The Electric Company]]
| role2   = Cast member
}}

===Honorary degrees===
Cosby has received honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities:

* Honorary [[Doctor of Humane Letters]] degree from [[Virginia Commonwealth University]], December 5, 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title= VCU 40th Anniversary Events|url= http://www.40th.vcu.edu/events/billcosby.html|date=|publisher=Virginia Commonwealth University|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>
* Honorary [[Doctor of Humane Letters]] degree from [[Carnegie Mellon University]], May 20, 2007; he was also the [[Keynote|keynote speaker]] for the [[Graduation|commencement ceremony]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Commencement 2007: Celebrating Honors and Achievements|url= http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2007/spring/commencement-2007.shtml|date=|publisher=Carnegie Mellon University|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>
* Honorary [[Doctor of Music]] degree from [[Berklee College of Music]], May 8, 2004.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Retiring College President Lee Eliot Berk and Bill Cosby Honored at Berklee College of Music's 2004 Commencement|publisher=Berklee College of Music|date=8 May 2004|url=http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/2004/default.html|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref> Cosby was also the host of the school's 60th Anniversary Concert in January 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title= Three Score: The Berklee 60th Anniversary Concert|url= http://www.berklee.edu/events/2006/01/60th.html|date=28 January 2006|publisher= Berklee College of Music|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>
* Honorary [[Doctor of Humane Letters]] degree from [[Baylor University]], September 4, 2003, at the "Spirit Rally" for the Baylor and Central Texas communities.<ref>{{cite web |title= Bill Cosby Lifts Baylor, Waco Spirits At "Pep Rally"|url= http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=5467|date= 5 September 2003|publisher= Baylor University|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>
* Honorary [[Doctor of Humane Letters]] degree from [[Yale University]], May 26, 2003.<ref>{{cite journal|date= 6 June 2003|title=Honorary Degrees|journal=Yale Bulletin and Calendar|volume= 31|issue= 31|url= http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v31.n31/story103.html|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>
* Cosby received an Honorary Degree in 2003 presented by President [[William Harjo LoneFight]] from the [[Sisseton Wahpeton College]] on the Lake Traverse Reservation for his contributions to minority education.
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from [[West Chester University of Pennsylvania]] during the 2003 graduation ceremony.
* Honorary [[Doctor of Humane Letters]] degree from [[Haverford College]], May 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title= Honorary Degree Recipients|url= http://www.haverford.edu/commencement/files/honorarydegrees.pdf|date= 7 July 2009|publisher= Haverford College|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>
* Cosby received Honorary Degrees from [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]]<ref name="rpi_grad" /> and the [[University of Cincinnati]] in 2001.
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from [[Amherst College]], May 1999. (Doctor of Humane Letters, ''honoris causa'')
* Honorary [[Legum Doctor|LL.D.]] from the [[University of Pennsylvania]], 1990.<ref>{{cite web |title= Commencement: Honorary Degrees|url= http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/hist/hondegalph.html#C|date= |publisher= University of Pennsylvania|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref> He also served as the [[Commencement speech|commencement speaker]] in May 1997.<ref>{{cite web |title= Commencement: Speakers Since 1938|url=http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/hist/speakers38.html|publisher=University of Pennsylvania|accessdate=19 September 2009}}</ref>

==Views on morality and socioeconomic issues==
{{main|Pound Cake speech}}
In May 2004 after receiving an award at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' ruling, the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]]'s decision that outlawed school [[racial segregation]], Cosby made public remarks critical of African Americans who put higher priorities on sports, fashion, and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement. He has made a plea for African American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of [[Culture of the United States|American culture]] (Baker).—

In "Pound Cake," Cosby, whose doctorate is in education, asked that African American parents begin teaching their children better morals at a younger age. He directed this address to the leaders in the lower and middle economic classes of the African-American community (see [[Pound Cake speech|main article]]). Cosby told reporters of the ''Washington Times'', "Parenting needs to come to the forefront. If you need help and you don't know how to parent, we want to be able to reach out and touch" (DeBose, Brian). Richard Leiby of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported, "Bill Cosby was anything but [[politically correct]] in his remarks Monday night at a [[DAR Constitution Hall|Constitution Hall]] bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' decision."

Cosby again came under sharp criticism, and again he was largely unapologetic for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech in a July 1 meeting commemorating the anniversary of ''Brown v. Board of Education''. During that speech, he admonished blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counter-productive aspirations. He further described those who needed attention as "blacks [who] had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the [[Civil Rights Movement]]." The talk was interrupted several times by applause and received praise from leaders such as [[Jesse Jackson]]. The speech was featured in the landmark African-American documentary [[500 Years Later]] which set the speech to cartoon visuals.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444593/ Bill Cosby Pound Cake in film 500 Years Later]</ref>

[[Georgetown University]] sociology professor [[Michael Eric Dyson]] wrote a book in 2005 entitled ''Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch?''<ref name="Dyson">{{cite map|publisher= National Public Radio|title= Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch?|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4628960|author=KTVU Staff|accessdate= 23 July 2009}}</ref> In the book, Dyson wrote that Cosby was overlooking larger social factors that reinforce poverty and associated crime; factors such as deteriorating schools, stagnating wages, dramatic shifts in the economy, offshoring and downsizing, chronic underemployment, and job and [[capital flight]].<ref name="Dyson column">{{cite map|publisher= The Washington Post|title=The Injustice Bill Cosby Won't See|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/20/AR2006072001631.html|author=Michael Eric Dyson|accessdate= 28 July 2009}}</ref> Dyson suggested Cosby's comments "betray classist, elitist viewpoints rooted in generational warfare."<ref name="Dyson"/>

In a 2008 interview, Cosby mentioned Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Oakland, Detroit and [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], Massachusetts as some of the cities where crime was high and young African-American men were being murdered and jailed in disproportionate numbers. Cosby stood his ground against criticism and affirmed that African-American parents were continuing to fail to inculcate proper standards of moral behavior.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.diamondsuite.net/index.php/?p=420 |title=The Breaking Point » Bill Cosby: Race man, pariah, hero |publisher=Diamondsuite.net |date= |accessdate=2009-09-18}}</ref> Cosby still lectures to black communities (usually at churches) about his frustrations with certain problems prevalent in underprivileged urban communities such as taking part in illegal drugs, teenage pregnancy, [[Black Entertainment Television]], high school dropouts, anti-intellectualism, [[gangsta rap]], vulgarity, thievery, offensive clothing, vanity, [[parental alienation]], single-parenting and failing to live up to the ideals of [[Frederick Douglass]], [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and the African American ancestors that preceded [[Generation X]]. Cosby criticizes those African Americans who associate his ideals with race treachery.

==Works==
===Discography===
<div style="-moz-column-count:2;column-count:2;">
====Comedy albums====
*''[[Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right!]]'' (1963)
*''[[I Started Out as a Child]]'' (1964)
*''[[Why Is There Air?]]'' (1965)
*''[[Wonderfulness]]'' (1966)
*''[[Revenge (Bill Cosby album)|Revenge]]'' (1967)
*''[[To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With]]'' (1968)
*''[[200 M.P.H.]]'' (1968)
*''[[8:15 12:15]]'' (1969)
*''[[It's True! It's True!]]'' (1969)
*''[[Sports (Bill Cosby album)|Sports]]'' (1969)
*''[[Live: Madison Square Garden Center]]'' (1970)
*''[[When I Was a Kid]]'' (1971)
*''[[For Adults Only]]'' (1971)
*''[[Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs]]'' (1971)
*''[[Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby]]'' (1972)
*''[[Fat Albert (album)|Fat Albert]]'' (1973)
*''[[My Father Confused Me... What Must I Do? What Must I Do?]]'' (1977)
*''[[Bill's Best Friend]]'' (1978)
*''[[Himself (Bill Cosby album)|Bill Cosby: Himself]]'' (1982)
*''[[Those of You With or Without Children, You'll Understand]]'' (1986)
*''Oh, Baby'' (1991)

====Music albums====
*''[[Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings]]'' (1967)
*''[[Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band!]]'' (1968)
*''[[Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band]]'' (1971)
*''At Last Bill Cosby Really Sings'' (1974)
*''[[Bill Cosby Is Not Himself These Days]]'' (1976)
*''[[Disco Bill]]'' (1977)
*''Where You Lay Your Head'' (1990)
*''My Appreciation'' (1991)
*''Hello Friend: To Ennis, With Love'' (1997)
*''Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby - The Original Jam Sessions 1969'' (2004)
*''Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby - The New Mixes Vol. 1'' (2004)
*''[[State of Emergency (Bill Cosby album)|State of Emergency]]'' (2009)
*''Keep Standing'' (2010)

====Compilations====
*''[[The Best of Bill Cosby]]'' (1969)
*''[[More of the Best of Bill Cosby]]'' (1970)
*''[[Bill (Bill Cosby album)|Bill]]'' (1973)
*''[[Down Under (Bill Cosby album)|Down Under]]'' (1975)
*''Cosby and the Kids'' (1986)
*''At His Best'' (1994)
*''20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Cosby'' (2001)
*''The Bill Cosby Collection'' (2004)
</div>
====Singles====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Year
!rowspan="2"|Single
!colspan="2"|Chart Positions
|-
!width="50"|<small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]</small>
!width="50"|<small>[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]</small>
|-
|1967
|"Little Ol' Man (Uptight—Everything's Alright)"
|4
|18
|-
|1970
|"Grover Henson Feels Forgotten"
|70
|—
|-
|rowspan=2|1976
|"I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself"
|—
|59
|-
|"Yes, Yes, Yes"
|46
|11
|}

===Books===
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title = [[Fatherhood (book)|Fatherhood]] |date = 1986 | publisher = Doubleday | location = New York| isbn = 978-0-385-23410-8 | oclc= 15686687}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title = Time Flies | date = 1987 | publisher = Doubleday | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-385-24040-6 | oclc= 16081611}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title =Love and Marriage | date = 1989 | publisher = Doubleday | location = New York| isbn = 978-0-385-24664-4 | oclc= 18984758}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title = Childhood | date = 1991 | publisher = Putnam | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-399-13647-4 | oclc=23650310}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title =Kids Say the Darndest Things| date = 1998 | publisher = Bantam Books | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-553-11043-2 |oclc= 39498709}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title =Congratulations! Now What?: A Book for Graduates| date = 1999 | publisher = Hyperion | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-7868-6572-7 | oclc= 40979923}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Allen | first1 = Dwight William | last2 = Cosby | first2 = Bill | title =American Schools: The $100 Billion Challenge| date = 2000| publisher =IPublish.com| location = New York| isbn = 978-0-7595-5000-1 | oclc= 48915448}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | last2 = Booth | first2 = George | title =Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy| date = 2001 | publisher = Hyperion | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-7868-6810-0 |oclc= 46359836}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | title =I Am What I Ate ... and I'm Frightened!!!: And Other Digressions from the Doctor of Comedy| date = 2003 | publisher = HarperEntertainment | location = New York| isbn = 978-0-06-054573-4 |oclc=52387894}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill| last2 = Cosby | first2 = Erika| title =Friends of a Feather: One of Life's Little Fables| date = 2003 | publisher = Harper Entertainment | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-06-009147-7 |oclc=52206847}}
*{{Cite book | last1 = Cosby | first1 = Bill | last2 = Poussaint | first2 = Alvin F. | title =Come on, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors| date = 2007| publisher = Thomas Nelson | location = Nashville| isbn = 978-1-59555-092-7 |oclc= 153581209}}

==See also==
{{portal|African American|AmericaAfrica.png}}
* [[List of African-American writers]]
* [[List of comedians]]
* [[List of Omega Psi Phi brothers]]
* [[List of Temple University people]]
* [[List of University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

;General References:
{{Sourcesstart}}
*{{cite news
 |author=DeBose, Brian
 |title="Cosby urges leaders to aid black families"
 |work=The Washington Times
 |date=September 9, 2004
 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5244/is_200409/ai_n19571672 |accessdate=2007-11-04}}
*Leiby, Richard. "Publications with a Cannes-Do Attitude." ''Washington Post''. May 19, 2004: 3.
*Morano, Marc. "Bill Cosby was hounded by [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]]." World Entertainment News Network. May 1, 2000. 2 Mar 2006. www.imdb.com
*"Segregated Expectations" ''USA Today''. May 15, 2003: 12.
*Wu, Frank H. "Brown at 50: Keeping Promises." Black Issues in [[Higher education|Higher Education]]. May 20, 2004: 49
*{{cite web|accessdate=2007-11-04
 |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/cosby_bill.htm
 |title= Biography &mdash; William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.
 |work= Biographies in Naval History
 |publisher= Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy
 |date=June 22, 2006
}}
{{Sourcesend}}

==External links==

{{wikiquote}}
*[http://www.billcosby.com/ Official Bill Cosby Site]
* {{Twitter|BillCosby}}
* {{imdb|0001070}}
* {{ibdb|36396}}
*[http://www.louisepalanker.com/interviews/bill-cosby-interview.html Interview with Cosby from 1990] (24&nbsp;minutes)
*[http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200405/20040526_transcript.html Interview transcript] from interview after the [[Pound Cake speech]]
*[http://www.carseywerner.net/ybyl_eng.htm ''You Bet Your Life'' home page]
*{{worldcat id|id=lccn-n82-52577}}

{{Bill Cosby}}
{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorTVComedy 1970-1989}}
{{Mark Twain Prize for American Humor}}
{{1998 Kennedy Center Honorees}}
{{NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award}}

{{Persondata
|NAME= Cosby, Bill
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Cosby, William Henry, Jr.
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=
|DATE OF BIRTH= {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1937|7|12}}
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Bill}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actors from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:African American actors]]
[[Category:African American comedians]]
[[Category:African American television actors]]
[[Category:American activists]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American game show hosts]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:American television actors]]
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Democrats]]
[[Category:Writers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:Temple Owls football players]]
[[Category:Temple University alumni]]
[[Category:United States Navy sailors]]
[[Category:University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni]]
[[Category:Worst Actor Golden Raspberry Award winners]]
[[Category:People who accepted Golden Raspberry Awards]]
[[Category:Spingarn Medal winners]]

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