Johnny Brown, 'Good Times' Star, Dead at 84

One of the stars of the hit 1970s Good Times sitcom has died. Johnny Brown, most known for playing the housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the show, died at 84. He passed away on Wednesday, Mar. 3, 2022. His daughter, actress Sharon Catherine Brown, broke the news on Instagram. "Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe," she wrote in a post. The details surrounding his death have yet to be made public as a coroner's report is currently in progress.

Outside of acting, Brown was also a singer. He recorded songs and performed in a band with saxophonist Sam "The Man" Taylor. He also had credits on Broadway in the 1960s. Brown also starred as a regular performer for three seasons on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

More than anything, he was known for his comedy skills. He did great impersonations of Louis Armstrong. He was also a leading contender to play the role of Lamont opposite Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son. He ultimately lost to Damond Wilson due to his contract on Laugh-In.

Brown joined the CBS comedy Good Times in 1975 in its second season. His character was often teased about his weight, with the character JJ calling him "buffalo butt" because of his larger frame.

"Sometimes you can do too much of a thing, and it doesn't come natural," Brown said in 2019 of his work on Good Times. "With everybody [calling Bookman] 'buffalo butt' in a scene, it loses something...They even had Janet [Jackson], who had just come on the show, answering like Mr. Buffalo Butt. And they used it in every show. They used it when I walked in the show, all through the scene. When I left the scene, they used it. I couldn't say anything because I have a wife and two kids to support. Now at my age, I would have to say something."

Brown's big break came in the 1960s when he won an amateur night competition at the Apollo Theater. He eventually transitioned into nightclub acts. Brown later recorded songs with Columbia and Atlantic records.

He eventually met Sammy Davis Jr., crediting him as his inspiration in the industry. "He did all the things I wanted to do," Brown said in a 1996 interview, per The Hollywood Reporter. "I wanted to be a well-rounded, complete entertainer; I didn't just want to sing or tell a joke." Brown is survived by his wife of 61 years. Additionally, he has a son, John Jr., and his daughter.