WELLLLLLLLLLLL, INDULGING MYSELF IN SOME MORE NET TIME. . . from:
http://www.celebrity1000.com/c elebritysites/male/billcosby/
here's one bio:
Biography
Only one actor has the unique ethnic mixture of Quechua Indian, English and German and who speaks fluent Spanish. Benjamin Bratt's mother is a Quechua Indian from Lima, Peru and his father is an American steel worker of English and German descent. One of five children, Bratt was raised by his mother Eldy after his parents divorce in 1968 until he became a teen. As a teenager he lived with his father, dedicating his energy to sports: swimming, baseball and wrestling. When his high school's theatre department put on a production of "Destry Rides Again" Bratt's father convinced him to audition using the line "That's where all the pretty young ladies were." And the hence a talented actor was born.
William Henry Cosby Jr. was born July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pa. He left high school without earning his diploma and joined the U.S. Navy in 1956. He did, however, pass a high school equivalency exam while he was enlisted and after is discharge he received an athletic scholarship to Temple University in Philadelphia in 1961. He left Temple in his sophomore year to entertain at the Gaslight Café in Greenwich Village, New York City. He began to establish a trademark comedic style characterized by a friendly and accessible stage persona and a relaxed, careful delivery.
During the 60’s he toured major U.S. and Canadian cities and was able to command higher and higher fee’s for his performances. His first real big break came in 1965 when he appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He then landed his first acting assignment in the espionage series “I Spy” (1965-1968). This made him the first black actor to perform in a starring dramatic role on Network TV. His portrayal of the black secret agent won him three Emmy Awards and helped to advance the status of African-Americans in the world of television.
Cosby’s career progressed and he appeared in a series of Bill Cosby specials (1968-1971, 1975). He also starred in the situation comedy “The Bill Cosby Show” (1969-71), the variety show “The New Bill Cosby Show “(1972-1973), and the cartoon “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” (1972-84, 1989). He also appeared in numerous commercials and on children’s TV shows. Along with all these projects, he still managed to find the time to make several feature films, which enjoyed limited success.
His most successful and celebrated work was “The Cosby Show” which appeared on NBC from 1984-1992. It became one of the most popular sit-coms in television history. The show avoided radical stereotypes and had broad cross-cultural appeal. It also won several major awards.
In January 1997, fate dealt Cosby a cruel blow. His son Ennis, a 27-year-old doctoral student of special education at Columbia University, was murdered by a single gunshot to the head while changing a flat tire on his Mercedes. Police believed the murder was the result of a bungled robbery attempt. Two months after the slaying, a suspect was arrested. TmigrT Mikhail Markhasev, an 18-year-old Ukrainian, was subsequently charged with the murder. A jury found him guilty in July of 1998 and was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Cosby’s current sitcom has received relatively low ratings, but signed for another season with “Cosby” and also as host of CBS’s “Kid’s Say the Darndest Things”, which follow the time- honored format engendered by the classic Art Linkletter series of the same name.
Cosby is, without a doubt, the best-selling comedian of all time on records. He has had 21 albums (3 of them musical) on the national pop charts as well as 6 singles. Three albums were in the Top 10 and three others hit the Top 20. During the mid 60’s, Cosby had as many as six albums on the charts at one time. Eight of the albums have been certified Gold Records by the Recording Industry Association of America. He won Grammy Awards for “Best Comedy Album” five times. His sales are unprecedented for any comedian and are unlikely to be challenged.
Cosby’s been busy raising a family, too. He married the former Camille Hanks on January 25th, 1964, while she was still a student at the University of Maryland. They have four girls, (Erika Ranee, Erinn Chalene, Ensa Camille and Evin Harrah) and his late son, Ennis. The family resides outside of Amherst, Massachusetts. While they are a constant source of material, Cosby laments the fact that his children have developed into good students. “When they didn’t do well in school it made for funny material. Now, they’re losing their humor!