October 7, 2005

Legendary Comic Bill Cosby to Perform at Homecoming

"... He is best known to many from the 1984-92 run of The Cosby Show and his books, Fatherhood and Time Flies, both had runs at the top of The New York Times best seller list. His lifelong contributions to American culture were recognized with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2002..."

Bill Cosbyby Mary L. Wimberley

Bill Cosby will bring his humor to Samford University with two performances Saturday, October 29. Showtimes are 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in Wright Center. Tickets are $40 each and are on sale now at www.samfordtickets.com. For information, call (205) 726-2807 or 1-877-782-5867.

One of the most influential stars in America today, Cosby has touched people's lives though his concert appearances, recordings, television, films, commercials and education. He is best known to many from the 1984-92 run of The Cosby Show and his books, Fatherhood and Time Flies, both had runs at the top of The New York Times best seller list. His lifelong contributions to American culture were recognized with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2002.

Cosby reached a new generation of young children with his Little Bill animated series, which is based on his popular children's books. Cosby's 2003 book Friends of a Feather, illustrated by his daughter, Erika Cosby, is dedicated to his son Ennis, who was shot and killed during an attempted robbery on a freeway off-ramp in Los Angeles in 1997. Cosby's newest book, I Am What I Ate…and I'm Frightened, released last year, offers humorous, hard-earned wisdom on the healthy lifestyle and the behavior behind it.

The comic's recordings have earned him five Grammy Awards for best comedy album. He has appeared in eight movies and many television specials, and has written, directed and produced educational TV Shows and animated specials. At one point in the 1999-2000 television season, Cosby had three series running simultaneously--Cosby, Kids Say the Darndest Things and Little Bill.

Known as a longtime crusader for a better world and for better understanding between people, Cosby is involved with numerous charities. He serves as an active trustee of his alma mater, Temple University, in his native Philadelphia. He and his wife, Camille, have made substantial gifts in support of education and to various social, service and civil rights organizations. In 1997, they established the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation to promote an understanding of dyslexia and language-based learning differences.

Cosby earned a master's degree in education and a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts.

More Information