Redd Foxx was a force of nature. If you grew up watching Sanford and Son, or even if you just caught the reruns on TV Land, you know that face—the squinting eyes, the clutching of the chest, the dramatic "I’m coming to join you, Elizabeth!" routine. He was a pioneer of "blue" comedy who eventually became the king of prime-time sitcoms. But for years, a weirdly persistent rumor has floated around the corners of the internet and old-school barbershops: did Redd Foxx have a twin brother?
People love a good mystery. Honestly, the idea of two Fred Sanfords running around 1970s Los Angeles is a hilarious thought. It’s the kind of trivia that feels like it should be true because it adds a layer of depth to a man who was already pretty complicated. But when you start digging into the actual history of John Elroy Sanford—that’s Redd’s real name—the answer is both simpler and a bit more poignant than the "secret twin" theories suggest.
He didn't have a twin.
The short answer is no. Redd Foxx was not a twin. He did, however, have a very real, very influential older brother named Fred G. Sanford Jr. If that name sounds familiar, it should. It’s the name Redd gave to his iconic character on Sanford and Son. But the confusion about a twin often stems from how much Redd looked like his family members and the way he talked about his "other half" in early comedy routines.
Where the Twin Rumor Actually Started
It’s easy to see why people get confused. Redd Foxx was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1922. His father, Fred Sanford Sr., left the family when Redd was just four years old. This left his mother, Mary Alma Sanford, to raise Redd and his older brother, Fred. Because they were close in age and shared a striking family resemblance, some fans who saw old family photos later in Redd's life jumped to the conclusion that they were twins.
They weren't. Fred was several years older.
But there’s a deeper reason for the myth. In the early days of the "Chitlin' Circuit," Redd Foxx would often tell stories that blurred the lines between reality and fiction. He was a storyteller. He’d talk about "my brother" in ways that made it sound like they were two sides of the same coin. When Fred passed away before Sanford and Son became a massive hit, Redd used the show as a living tribute to him. This emotional connection was so strong that many viewers assumed the bond was that of a twin, rather than just a younger brother idolizing an older one.
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The Real Fred Sanford: Redd’s Actual Brother
Fred G. Sanford Jr. wasn't a comedian. He wasn't in show business. He was a regular guy who lived a life far removed from the bright lights of NBC’s studios. Yet, without him, the Redd Foxx we know might never have existed.
Redd was incredibly loyal. When he got the chance to do a show based on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, he insisted on changing the lead character’s name to Fred Sanford. It was his way of keeping his brother's memory alive. He even used his brother’s actual temperament as an inspiration for the character. The real Fred wasn't a junk dealer, but he had a certain grit and a "tell it like it is" attitude that Redd channeled into every episode.
Think about that for a second. Every time Redd Foxx yelled at Lamont or fake-collapsed from a heart attack, he was wearing his brother's name like a suit of armor. That’s not a twin connection; that’s just deep, brotherly love.
Why the "Secret Twin" Theory Persists
We live in an era of "Mandela Effects" and weird internet theories. People remember things that never happened. Because Redd Foxx had such a long career—stretching from the 1930s as a street performer to the 1990s on the set of The Royal Family—the timeline of his life gets fuzzy for casual fans.
- The Lookalike Factor: In some early publicity shots, Redd’s brother Fred looked remarkably like him.
- The Name: Because "Fred Sanford" was both a real person and a fictional character, people often conflate the two.
- The Passing: Fred died in 1970, just a year before Sanford and Son premiered. This timing led to rumors that Redd was "replacing" someone or that there was a loss he couldn't talk about.
Redd himself never did much to dispel the rumors. He liked the mystique. He liked that people were talking. He was a promoter at heart. If someone thought he had a twin, he’d probably just crack a joke about how the world couldn't handle two of him anyway.
Life on the Streets of St. Louis and Chicago
To really understand why the did Redd Foxx have a twin brother question keeps popping up, you have to look at his childhood. It was rough. It was the kind of upbringing that forges a person.
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Redd, his brother Fred, and their mother eventually moved to Chicago. This is where Redd started his journey into entertainment, performing in a washboard band and doing "skiffle" music. He was part of a group called the Bon-Bons. He was a "mop-top" before the Beatles made it cool. In those days, groups often dressed alike. If you saw two young Black men in matching suits, singing harmony on a street corner, you might assume they were twins.
He was also incredibly close with a guy named John Elroy Sanford... oh wait, that was him. He was actually close with a young man named Malcolm Little. You might know him as Malcolm X. They worked together as "Detroit Red" (Malcolm) and "Chicago Red" (Redd Foxx) at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. They weren't brothers, but they were so close they were often mistaken for them.
The Impact of the Sanford Name
The legacy of the Sanford name is massive in Black culture. It represented a certain type of working-class struggle that was rarely seen on television in a way that wasn't purely tragic. Redd made it funny. He made it human.
When Redd Foxx insisted on the name Fred Sanford, he was doing something radical. He was bringing his real-life grief and his real-life family history into the living rooms of millions of Americans. It wasn't just a role. It was a tribute.
If you look at the credits of the show, you won't see a twin listed. You won't find a "Twin Foxx" in the archives of the Apollo Theater. What you will find is a man who was so talented he could fill a room all by himself. He didn't need a twin to share the spotlight.
Fact-Checking the Genealogy
Genealogists have poured over the Sanford family tree. Mary Alma Sanford (his mother) was a woman of mixed heritage—Black and Seminole. His father, Fred Sr., was of African American descent. Their children were:
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- Fred G. Sanford Jr.
- John Elroy Sanford (Redd Foxx)
There is no record of a third child or a twin birth. In the 1920s, birth records in St. Louis weren't always perfect, but the family history is well-documented through Redd’s own biographies and interviews given by those who knew him in his youth.
Final Insights on the Foxx Legacy
Redd Foxx died on the set of The Royal Family in 1991. He suffered a heart attack, and in a cruel twist of fate, the cast and crew thought he was doing his classic Fred Sanford routine. They laughed while he was actually dying. It’s a heavy end for a man who spent his life making people smile.
The rumor of the twin brother is ultimately a testament to how much people want there to be "more" to the story. We want a secret. We want a hidden twin who was the real genius, or a tragic story of a brother lost at birth. But the reality is more impressive: Redd Foxx was a singular talent. He was an original.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of classic comedy, there are a few things you should actually focus on instead of the twin myths:
- Listen to the "Laff" Records: Before he was Fred Sanford, Redd was a king of the underground comedy record. These albums were "X-rated" for their time and show his raw, unfiltered genius.
- Study his Civil Rights connection: His friendship with Malcolm X is one of the most fascinating "what if" stories in American history.
- Watch the late-career work: See how his style evolved in films like Harlem Nights.
Redd Foxx didn't have a twin, but he had enough personality for five people. He left behind a body of work that changed television forever and a name—Fred Sanford—that will live on as long as there are people who appreciate a good "big one" coming to join Elizabeth.
To honor his legacy, the best thing a fan can do is look past the urban legends and appreciate the very real, very singular man who broke the mold. Check out the 1980 biography Redd Foxx B.S. (Before Sanford) if you can find a copy; it's a wild ride through the real history of a man who never needed a double to make his mark on the world. Reach out to local archives or specialized entertainment libraries like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture if you want to see the primary documents of his early career—it’s far more interesting than any twin conspiracy.