aying Goodbye–In life, some great people cross our paths, leaving a profound impact on your life. My blood brother and lifelong friend, Keith Bernard Smith, was one of those people. My dear friend passed recently after years of living with complications of Lupus and health issues.
Growing up in West Philadelphia, Cobbs Creek section of the city, Keith attended Robert E. Lamberton School, where he spent many of his early years, later graduating from Central High School. It was at Lamberton I became acquainted with Keith through my sister, Norma.
Keith was well-known in the music arena. He played bass guitar and was a member of the groups “Man’s Creation” and “Smith and Hubbard” (featuring Keith and Leonard Hubbard, former member of “The Roots”). Keith was heavy in the music business. We watched as Keith and his friends found their way and began playing with some notable performers. Keith played with Grover Washington, Cedric Napoleon with Pieces of a Dream, and Eric Woods with Patty LaBelle. These guys were doing their thing, and we were there to support them.
I was just in Philadelphia for his funeral and wanted to provide this information because I thought Keith’s experience as a musician was something I wanted to share. He will be remembered for his love of music.
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Speaking of loss, this past week we suffered the loss of Actor John Amos, best known for his role on “Good Times” as James Evans and for captivating audiences with his roles in Alex Haley’s mini television series, “Roots” where he played the adult Kunte Kinte. He went on to do several television shows and movies, then appeared in “Coming to America,” where I had the pleasure to interview him along with the entire cast, thanks to my friends at Allied Advertising.
I attended a Press Junket in New York, saw the movie, and spent a day interviewing all the cast members, from Eddie Murphy, who gave me special attention; Arsenio Hall, who shares the same stomping grounds in Ohio; James Earl Jones, whose stern voice seems to be even deeper when you are face to face with him. A gentle soul who lived in New Jersey, and then there was John.
This was one of the most enlightening interviews out of all the cast members because John spoke in detail about why he left “Good Times” and the bitter taste it left in his mouth.
During his tenure on “Good Times,” Amos openly clashed with the writers of the show due to the scripts’ lack of authenticity in portraying the African American experience. He criticized what he felt was too much of an emphasis on Jimmie Walker’s character J.J. and greater disregard for the other two Evans children, as well as the way J.J. was portrayed with a stereotypical buffoonish personality.
He said he had an issue with the Evans, never getting out of the ghetto, always down on their luck, or the silly decisions to give back money found when they don’t have food in the house – that was the one John said pushed him over the top.
This clash of heads is what led to John exiting after season 3 in 1976. In a 2017 interview, Amos said he had told the writers, who, according to Amos, did not understand African Americans, “That just doesn’t happen in the community. We don’t think that way.
We don’t act that way. We don’t let our children do that.” His character was killed off by the writers, leading to a famous scene with his screen wife screaming, “Damn! Damn! Damn!”
Amos’ roots are not too far away. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, where he graduated from East Orange High School in 1958. He enrolled at Long Beach City College and graduated from Colorado State University, becoming a social worker with a degree in sociology.
An athlete at heart, John played on the university’s football team; then, after college, he was a Golden Gloves boxing champion. Amos was a veteran of the 50th Armored Division of the New Jersey National Guard and Honorary Master Chief of the United States Coast Guard.
In addition to receiving an Emmy nomination for Roots, Amos was nominated for a CableACE award, an NAACP Image Award, and a DVD Exclusive Award. He won three TV Land Awards for his roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, and the TV miniseries Roots.
In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Amos died of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Inglewood, California, on August 21, 2024, at the age of 84. His death was not announced until October 1, 2024. His daughter, Shannon, was unaware that he had died until it was reported by the media. His remains were cremated nine days after his death.
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Thank you for reading an excerpt of Yanina Carter’s article on scoopusamedia.com. To read more of the article, “Philly Beat: My Conversation with John Amos,” please subscribe to Scoop USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75.00 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital and Vizion) are $90. (52 weeks/1 year)
