Bill Cosby

(January 1997) National Enquirer offers $100,000 reward for the capture of the killer of Bills son, Ennis.

(16 January 1997) Bills son, Ennis Cosby (27), was shot dead while fixing a flat tire off the San Diego Freeway.

He and wife Camille O. Cosby have five children: Erika (b. 8 April 1965), Erinn (b. 23 July 1966), Ennis (15 April 1969 - 16 January 1997), Ensa (b. 8 April 1973) and Evin (b. 27 August 1976).

In 1976, he earned a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His dissertation was titled "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."

His wife, Camille O. Cosby , is a direct descendant of Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln s mother.

At one time expressed a very public interest in purchasing the National Broadcasting Company.

Sang on a number of albums in the 1970s.

In addition to numerous best-selling comedy albums over the years, for which he won several Grammy awards, Cosby had a top-40 hit as a singer in 1969 with "Little Old Man."

Insisted that "The Cosby Show" be filmed in New York; he disliked working in Hollywood.

Grand marshal, Tournament of Roses parade

Many elements of "The Cosby Show" were references to his own family. Phylicia Rashad s (Clair Huxtables) maiden name was Hanks, like his wife Camilles maiden name. Also, like he has in real life, the Huxtables had four daughters and one son.

Is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Son Ennis is buried on Cosby family estate in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.

First black performer to win an Emmy, for "I Spy" .

Biography in "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pp. 120-122. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

Cliff Huxtable, Cosbys character on "The Cosby Show" , was ranked #1 by TV Guide in its list of the 50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time [20 June 2004 issue].

The oldest of 4 children.

Inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1994.

Broke Radio Citys 53-year-old attendance record for his concert appearance.

Was an Honoree at the Kennedy Center Awards, and attended the ceremony with Bill Clinton , and Hillary Clinton.

Is a best-selling author.

As a child he listened to great comedians such as Jack Benny , George Burns and Gracie Allen , Jimmy Durante and Fred Allen.

Fat Albert, Old Weird Harold, and Dumb Donald were based on his series of comedy routines about his school pals, and he tested them on his most appreciative audience: his mother.

Was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) for his commitment to advancing higher education and for his longtime love and promotion of jazz. [May 2004]

Was once part-owner of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association.

Has been imitated by various comedians, such as Eddie Murphy , Jamie Foxx , Dave Coulier , Eddie Griffin , Kenan Thompson and Adam Sandler.

The character Dr. Hibbert from "The Simpsons" is based on him.

Within 15 seconds after watching Kenan Thompson s Fat Albert audition tape, he said to director Joel Zwick , "Hire him!"

When "The Simpsons" ) started competing with "The Cosby Show" in 1989, the already declining audience of the show decreased even more. Because of this, both shows had a playful attitude toward each other. "The Cosby Show" made small references to the "The Simpsons", including one episode where Bill wore a Bart Simpson mask, and "The Simpsons" made small references to "The Cosby Show", including the character of Dr. Hibbert, a direct reference to Cosby.

He decided to become a stand-up comedian when he was a bartender. Many of the bars customers would comment on how funny he was and tell him to try his act on stage for an audience. He is one of the most successful stand-up comics in history, releasing numerous hit records of his shows and still selling out venues to this date.

When "The Cosby Show" was ruling the NBC line-up in the mid-80s, he insisted that his newly produced show, "A Different World" , a spin-off of "The Cosby Show", follow after his show instead of the hit "Family Ties" . He wanted this because he felt there was a lack of shows on TV that featured African-Americans in a positive light. NBC made the move, which led to two things happening: "The Cosby Show" audience was cut by 20% and never fully recovered, and "Family Ties" struggled to get the high numbers it once received. It was canceled in 1989.

Dyslexia ran in the Cosby family. Bill didnt inherit it, but brother Russell Cosby did (not finding out until he was an adult). Bills son Ennis was dyslexic, but overcame it well enough to graduate from college.

Wife Camille O. Cosby (nee Hanks) is related to Tom Hanks , and both share lineage with Abraham Lincoln through Lincolns mother, Nancy Hanks.

Like Bob Newhart , has the ability to be funny without resorting to profanity.

Recently became a vegetarian.

All his children names start with the letter E for excellence

Outstanding athlete at Temple University, in football and track and field.

When "The Cosby Show" was ruling the NBC line-up in the mid-80s, he insisted that NBC purchase and use Ikegami studio cameras for the production of his show. At the time NBC was owned by RCA, whose studio cameras NBC used exclusively. But Cosby felt that Ikegamis product produced a better picture. NBC agreed and used the cameras.

Won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album six years in a row, 1965 to 1970.

Upon receiving his Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2003 Emmys, Cosby paid tribute to two people: childrens show host Fred Rogers (who had died earlier that year) and, poignantly, his late son, Ennis.

Did not submit himself for Emmy consideration during the eight-year run of "The Cosby Show" .

Holds a Doctorate in Education.

Played as Running Back for Temple University (Philadelphia, PA, USA) football team during the 1962-1964 seasons.

Played in two movies where his characters were mistook for Satan: The Devil and Max Devlin and Ghost Dad .

Received the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor [October 2009].

Best known by the public for his starring role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" .

He was the first entertainer to win an Emmy Award, the Mark Twain Prize, and the Spingarn Medal.

Cousin of Del Shields.

Father of Ensa Cosby.

Bill Cosby: Far from Finished was the first of his televised concerts which was specifically produced to accommodate the inclusion of television commercials.

Bill Cosbys television debut was on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" , on August 6, 1963. Allan Sherman was the guest host and after his six-minute stand-up comedy routine ("Karate"), he was "called over" to chat.

Uncle of Braxton Cosby.

He walked his Cosby Show co-star Phylicia Rashad down the aisle at her wedding to Ahmad Rashad. OJ Simpson was Rashads best man.

Lifelong friend of 30 years of Phylicia Rashad.

Acting mentor and friends of Malcolm-Jamal Warner , Keshia Knight Pulliam , Tempestt Bledsoe and Doug E. Doug.

Friend of: Joan Rivers , Oprah Winfrey , Phylicia Rashad , Debbie Allen , Madeline Kahn , Robert Culp , Hugh Hefner , Bob Newhart , Bob Hope , Frank Sinatra , Sammy Davis Jr. , Dean Martin , Jerry Lewis , Jack Paar , Danny Thomas , Dick Van Dyke , Sherman Hemsley , Johnny Carson , Mickey Rooney , Jay Leno , David Letterman , Betty White , Rosie ODonnell , Richard Pryor , Sidney Poitier , Lou Rawls , Flip Wilson , Dinah Shore , Redd Foxx , and Dick Gregory.

Has worked with Phylicia Rashad in episodes of both series: "The Cosby Show" and "Cosby" .

(July 2015) In the wake of court documents from 2005 being revealed in which Cosby admitted to drugging women to have sex with them, Walt Disney World removed a Bust of Cosby from its Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza in the Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida. Furthermore, Bounce TV pulled reruns of "Cosby" while Centric Network no longer aired reruns of "The Cosby Show" .

In July 2015, New York Magazine depicted 35 of the 46 women who had accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them on its cover. The cover story included interviews from 35 of Cosbys accusers.

(December 2014) The Navy revoked Cosbys title of honorary chief petty officer, which he was presented in 2011, saying allegations of sexual abuse made against the comedian are serious and conflict with the Navys core values. Cosby enlisted in the Navy in 1956 and served four years as a hospital corpsman before being honorably discharged in 1960 as a 3rd Class Petty Officer. Furthermore, Cosby resigned from Temple Universitys board of trustees, a seat he had held since 1982.

Admitted to giving prescription Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with during a civil lawsuit filed in 2005 by Andrea Constand - one of the dozens of women who have publicly accused the comedian of sexual assault. The documents were made public in July 2015. As of 2015, more than 25 women have publicly accused Cosby of raping or assaulting them over the past 40 years. The comedian has never been criminally charged and has vehemently denied wrongdoing. Among the accusers is Janice Dickinson.

Both Marquette University in Wisconsin and Fordham University in New York have both decided to pull the honorary degrees they bestowed to the comedian years ago, in wake of the sexual allegations made against Cosby.

The district attorney for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, charged Bill Cosby with one count of aggravated indecent assault on 30th December, 2015. The criminal charge stems from an investigation into an incident of alleged sexual assault against Andrea Constand, an employee at Temple University between 2001 and 2004, that occurred at the comedians home in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, in 2004.

Born six days after Ned Beatty.

[on his murdered son, Ennis] He was my hero.

The problem is that your daughter has given her heart to a 15-year-old,boy, and a 15-year-old boy does not yet qualify as a human being.

Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come,home.

My mother and father ate oink. And they loved oink grease. Lard is what,they ate. And they soaked up grease with a biscuit. And they loved,butter too. And they sopped up and drank and ate grease. Sausage.

Because of my father, I thought my name was Jesus Christ. My brother,Russell thought that his name was Dammit.

[on "The Cosby Show" (1984) ] I wanted to give the house back to,the parents.

and deliver the following acceptance speech: "I would like to thank my,parents, first of all, for letting me live. ",What best defines a child is the total inability to receive information,from anything not plugged in.

Some people have said our show is about a white family in blackface.

The past is a ghost, the future is a dream, and all we ever have is now.

If you want to be seen, stand up. If you want to be heard, speak up. If you want to be appreciated, shut up.

gray hair is gods graffiti,In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

The past is a ghost, the future a dream and all we ever have is now.

Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.

The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it.

Parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.

I’m supposed to figure out if the glass is half full or half empty,” I told her. Without a moment’s hesitation, in a split second, my grandmother shrugged and said: “It depends on if you’re drinking or pouring.

Old is always fifteen years from now.

Human beings are the only creatures on Earth that allow children to come back home.

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.

There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God.

Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made.

You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

When I decided that I wanted to go to college, I wanted to be a school teacher for 7th and 8th grade boys because I felt that was an important time for them. I had gone astray at that point in my life and really wanted to help keep them from making the same mistake I had made.

The first-born in every family is always dreaming for an imaginary older brother or sister who will look out for them.

Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.

Men and women belong to different species and communications between them is still in its infancy.

If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right.

The heart of marriage is memories; and if the two of you happen to have the same ones and can savor your reruns, then your marriage is a gift from the gods.

Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge.