Groundbreaking Male Performers In Television

In television lore, three performers clearly stand out. Nat King Cole (left) was the first African American to host a network variety show, but it was cancelled for lack of sponsorship. Redd Foxx (center), in the seventies, was the first African American to star in a top rated network sitcom. This set the stage for Bill Cosby (right) who, in the eighties, was the star of the Cosby Show, which was the number one television show for five consecutive seasons (a feat duplicated only by All in the Family and American Idol).

 

Nat King Cole (1919-1965)

 

Redd Foxx (1922-1991)

 

Bill Cosby (born July 12, 1937)