Nipsey Russell

Julius "Nipsey" Russell (September 15, 1925 – October 2, 2005) was an African-American comedian, best known for his appearances as a guest panelist on game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s. He was also a three time game show host having hosted Your Number's Up and two versions of Juvenile Jury. His appearances were distinguished in part by the short, humorous poems he would recite during the broadcast. These lyrics became so closely associated with Russell that Dick Clark, Bill Cullen, Betty White, and others regularly referred to him as "the poet laureate of television." He also had a leading role in the film version of The Wiz as the Tin Man. He was also a frequent guest on the long-running "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast" series. Russell died of stomach cancer on October 2, 2005.