The character of “Aunt Esther” Anderson on the NBC sitcom “Sanford and Son” made LaWanda Page, an American actress, and comedian, famous. She appeared on the well-known show for all six of its seasons alongside her childhood buddy Redd Foxx, who played Fred G. Sanford, the main character.
When she was 15 years old, she first started working as a showgirl in a nightclub named “Collins Corner.” She gained the nickname “The Bronze Goddess of Fire” there for her unique fire-related activities. Later, she established herself in the club scenes of St. Louis and Los Angeles as a vulgar comedian.
Additionally, she created a number of live comedy albums, the most well-known of which being ‘Watch It, Sucker! Throughout her decades-long career, she continued to appear in a number of films and television shows up to her passing at age 81.
Lawanda Page’s Date of Birth and Education
On October 19, 1920, LaWanda Page was born as Alberta Peal in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. She was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and went to Banneker Elementary School there. John Elroy Sanford, later known as Redd Foxx, was one of her students at the time.
Lawanda Page’s Husband
LaWanda Page has three marriages and three divorces. She married for the first time at the age of 14. Clara Estella Roberta Johnson, one of her daughters, went on to become an evangelist.
Lawanda Page’s Career
When LaWanda Page began performing as a dancer in local nightclubs at the age of 15, she made her debut in the entertainment industry.
She was known as “The Bronze Goddess of Fire” during this time because of her actions, which included swallowing fire and burning up cigarettes with her fingertips.
She frequently performed on stage with Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx, who both began their careers in comedy around the same time and later rose to fame as actors and comedians.
She followed Foxx to the West Coast in the early 1960s and, after earning her keep on the club circuit, joined the comedy group “Skillet, Leroy & Co.” there.
Redd Foxx began offering opportunities to several of his friends, including Page after he was cast as the lead in the television remake of the BBC series “Steptoe and Son,” “Sanford and Son.”
She had become dissatisfied with the Los Angeles club scene and was preparing to return to St. Louis to care for her dead mother when she was offered the part of aunt Esther on the NBC sitcom.
The producers wanted to replace Page since she wasn’t familiar with the basics of acting in front of the camera because she had never worked on a television show before “Sanford and Son.”
Foxx was determined that he would only consider Page for the role, and they eventually collaborated to create the recognizable popular figure.
She played Esther Anderson in the television show “Sanford and Son” from 1972 to 1977. Anderson is a hard realist and dedicated church member who likes to fight with Foxx’s character, Fred Sanford, who plays her brother-in-law.
She made a logical transition from a wild nightclub performer to a religious, Bible-toting Aunt, and she frequently stole the show from Foxx.
Following Foxx’s departure from the show, the spin-off “Sanford Arms” (1977) with a new lead character was created, and Page returned to the role of aunt Esther. However, after just one season, the program was canceled.
Later in 1980, Foxx and Page both returned to their respective roles in the follow-up television series “Sanford.” This television series also received poor ratings.
The majority of Page’s filthy stand-up comedy material was featured on the live comedy CDs she made under the label “Laff Records” in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Her gold-selling album, “Watch It, Sucker!” (1972), which was also one of her character’s catchphrases, was published after she gained renown as aunt Esther. She later released the comparatively unpolluted album “Sane Advice” in 1979.
On various television shows, including “Starsky and Hutch” (1977–1979), “Detective School” (1979), “Amen” (1991), “Martin” (1992–1993), and “Dream On,” she played recurring roles (1995-96).
Throughout her career, she also featured in various TV guest roles and multiple episodes of “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts” as herself.
In movies like “Zapped!,” “Good-bye, Cruel World,” “Mausoleum,” “My Blue Heaven,” and “Shakes the Clown,” Page played an actor.
She appeared in numerous more songs from her debut album, “Supermodel of the World,” as well as the music video for RuPaul’s popular song “Supermodel (You Better Work)” in the early 1990s.
The role of Aunt Esther that LaWanda Page most famously played on “Sanford and Son” and its spin-off series. Over 500,000 copies of her most successful live comedy record, “Watch It, Sucker!” were sold.
Lawanda Page’s Death
On September 14, 2002, Page, who was 81 years old, passed away from diabetes-related complications. At the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California, she was laid to rest in an outdoor basement.