Bill Cosby Gossip

Bill Cosby is a famous American comedian and actor. He is best known for his popular television series "The Cosby Show", for his appearances on "The Electric Company", the making of the cartoon "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", and for his stand-up comedy act which continues to this day (as of early 2007).
Bill Cosby was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 12th, 1937. In primary school, he was the captain of the baseball and track teams. He started acting in plays during high school, and attended a challenging magnet school while balancing a full load of activities in various sports. After failing tenth grade, he dropped out of high school and started working. His first job was in a shoe repair shop. He then joined the Navy, where he worked in the Hospital Corps. Attaining his GED, he went to Temple University in Philadelphia, and while working as a bartender at a local club, decided that he had the talent to become a comedian.
During the early sixties, Bill Cosby started his stand-up comedy career. In 1962 he made his first appearance at the famous Gaslight Cafe in New York City. Bill Cosby was immediately successful in stand-up comedy and played shows across the country. He released comedy albums during the sixties such as "Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow... Right!" and appeared on the "Tonight Show" in 1963, giving him national exposure. In 1965, Bill Cosby appeared in a leading role on the James Bond style espionage TV show "I Spy", a first for African Americans. The show was a great success and one of the most watched shows on television that year. After running for three years, the show ended and Bill Cosby went on to appear in the short lived "The Bill Cosby Show" in 1969, and to focus more time on stand-up comedy and his education. During the early seventies he finished college, receiving a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts. He also made several appearances on "The Electric Company", the children's educational program on PBS designed for children in primary school who had outgrown "Sesame Street", and hosted his Saturday morning cartoon series "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", which had been part of his doctoral thesis.
Bill Cosby reached his greatest level of recognition and popularity with the eighties sitcom "The Cosby Show". During a period when most network television was violent and action packed cop and detective series, "The Cosby Show" was a breath of fresh air. It portrayed an intelligent, unstereotyped African American family in a way that had never before been seen on American television. "The Cosby Show" stayed on the air for nearly a decade and remained near the top of the charts for most of this time. After "The Cosby Show" ended, Bill Cosby appeared in a number of unsuccessful films. As of 2007, Bill Cosby continues to produce television shows but is considered to do his best work on the stand-up comedy circuit.