WHY DID JAMIE FOX CHANGE HIS NAME: WHY TWO XX''S

IN MY OPINION:

WILLIAM REYNOLDS:

WHY DID JAMIE FOX CHANGE HIS NAME: WHY TWO XX''S

When Foxx started performing at open mic nights in 1989, female comedians were routinely called to the stage ahead of the male comics -- and Foxx didn't want to wait that long. He chose "Jamie" because of its gender ambiguity. "Foxx" was his way of paying tribute to one of his favorite performers, Redd Foxx -- whose moniker was also a stage name. (Redd Foxx, best known for his role in '70s sitcom "Sanford and Son," was born John Elroy Sanford.)

Apparently that was the right call because just two years later, Foxx was cast on popular skit comedy show "In Living Color," which eventually led to his own sitcom on the WB Network and all of the other opportunities that ultimately got him an Oscar as well as a starring role in a Tarantino film.