While you may not know the name LaWanda Page, you probably know Aunt Esther, the character on the hit TV series Sanford & Son, with comedian Redd Foxx. Page, who played Aunt Ester, always went bac and forth with Foxx's character Fred Sanford. She was one of the favorite ensemble players on the show with her catch phrase, "Watch it, Sucka!"
Many don't know but Page Page began her career as a dancer and chorus girl billed as "the Bronze Goddess of Fire."
She got that name because she would light cigarettes with her fingertips, swallow fire and touch flaming torches to her body--all as a part of her act. Her health and appearance were a top priority for Page back then. But when she landed her part with Sanford & Son and more roles in Hollywood came knocking, the grueling schedule led to her health decline and she eventually died from diabetes complications at the age of 81 in 2002.
LaWanda Page and Redd Foxx were very close friends from the time they were pre-teen age. They attended school and grew up together in St. Louis.
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Later on, they both entered the field of comedy separately and performed stage acts. Page later recorded several live comedy albums for the Laff Records label in the late 1960s and early 1970s under the LaWanda stage name. One release, a gold-selling album called Watch It, Sucker!, was titled after one of her Aunt Esther character's catchphrases to capitalize on her...
...newfound TV fame. During her tenure as a stand-up comic, which lasted all the way to the 1990s, she was often called The Queen of Comedy, or in some mainstream circles, The Black Queen of Comedy. Other than the expletive-free Sane Advice album, released two years after the run of Sanford and Son, most of Page's albums and stand-up material were raunchy in nature.
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When the taping of Sanford & Son started, the producers noticed during rehearsals that Page was unfamiliar with the ins-and-outs of producing a television sitcom; she had been more accustomed to performing in nightclubs. So one of the producers told Foxx that he was going to fire Page and hold auditions again for the “Aunt Esther” role, so that taping could begin. Foxx was like “Hell no!” and insisted LaWanda play the part and he threatened to walk away from the show if she was given the boot. So of course, the producers stuck with Page, who proved all of them wrong and became one of the most memorable characters on TV during in the ’70’s.
Page's death from diabetes teaches us all a lesson about a busy lifestyle and eating healthy: both can be done together, but you just have to remember a few things:
- Reduce Portion Sizes - you can still have what you want to eat, but just eat less of it. Adding more water to your daily routine will help you feel more full as well.
- Move A Little More Each Day - staying active helps with the fight against diabetes. Even if it is just walking 10 more minutes a day
- Stay In Touch With Your Doctor - Schedule regular check-ups and if your physician finds anything early, there's still time to turn it around and stop diabetes
