Jamie Foxx tells how he became Jamie Foxx

Jet, March 24, 1997

It's been said that a name can make or break you in show business.

Jamie Foxx, star of the hit TV sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show," says he's a living testament to that statement.

Foxx, whose real name is Eric Bishop, found that after he changed his name, he has become one of the busiest and most sought-after entertainers in show business.

His TV sitcom is the No. I show among Black viewers on the WB network. The hit series co-stars model Garcelle Beauvais, Garrett Morris, Ellia English and Christopher B. Duncan.

During a visit to the Johnson Publishing Company headquarters in Chicago, Foxx told JET how he became Jamie Foxx--the comedian, actor, singer and songwriter.

Foxx, 29, grew up in the little town of Terrell, TX, near Dallas, and studied classical music at the U. S. International University in San Diego. He moved to Los Angeles as Eric Bishop in 1990 to become a star.

Instead of fame he found himself selling shoes at a men's shoe shop. He eventually left that job and started doing comedy seven days a week.

He first considered changing his name when he noticed he wasn't being called to perform at comedy clubs because, he says, the people who ran the contests were jealous of his talent.

He noticed that women comedians were being called to perform during the clubs' amateur night competitions, so he decided to use a unisex name.

"When I got to L.A., `The Amateur Night' was the big thing at the time," Foxx recalls.

"The amateur comedians ran the Amateur Night at the club, which was mostly White comedians and a few Blacks, so if you went in and you did real good, (they would say) `He did too good, don't put him up no more.' They picked from a list; if they saw your name, if they saw Eric Bishop, they'd skip over it."

Foxx, who was determined to make it as a stand-up comedian, went to Santa Monica "where nobody really knew who I was," he reveals "and changed my name to Jamie Foxx." He remembers, "Three girls would show up and 22 guys would show up. They had to put all the girls on who were on the list to break up the monotony. So when they look up and they see Tracey Green, Tracey Brown, all these unisex names I had written on the list, they picked Jamie Foxx. `Is she here?' And I said, `Yeah, Brother, right over here man,'" Foxx said in a deep, macho voice. "I'd go up and do my thing with the Cosby and Tyson (impersonations), and they were like `Who is this Jamie Foxx kid?'"

He won the Black Bay Area Comedy Competition in 1991. Foxx later auditioned for the "In Living Color" show and won fame for his character, Wanda, The Ugly Woman.

"After that my life changed, my life literally changed forever," he says of his newfound fame on "In Living Color." "It just swept the country," he recalls.

His TV show is based loosely on his experiences and tells the story of Jamie King, an aspiring entertainer from Terrell, TX, who heads to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune. But unlike the real Jamie Foxx, this Jamie does not find fame and has to take a job working at his aunt and uncle's Los Angeles hotel while he tries to break into show business.

The best part of the job for Jamie is working closely with the sexy front desk clerk, Francesca "Fancy" Monroe, played by model-actress Garcelle Beauvais, who starred on the former series "Models Inc."

Jamie's attempts to date Fancy add intrigue and excitement and a whole lot of laughs to the popular show. Their cat-and-mouse-like relationship is a key part of the show's success.

The cast also features actor Christopher B. Duncan as the hotel's accountant, Garrett Morris of "Saturday Night Live" fame as Jamie's Uncle Junior and Ellia English as Aunt Helen.

In addition to his TV success, Foxx is winning rave reviews for his hilarious comedy film, Booty Call, which also stars Tommy Davidson, Vivica A. Fox and Tamala Jones. In between the laughs, he explains, there is an important message of safe sex. "The message in it," he stresses, "is to wear a condom."

Also an accomplished singer, Foxx released his debut album, Peep This, in 1995 with all songs written, produced and performed by him.

He sings a duet with legendary singer Gladys Knight on his show later this season. "She plays my mother. It's a very powerful episode," he reveals.

His other TV credits include a recurring role on the former comedy series, "Roc," which starred Charles S. Dutton.

But while Jamie Foxx keeps his TV and movie fans laughing, he also has a serious side.

He reveals that he was adopted when he was seven months old and plans to use his fame to raise awareness about the importance of adoption.

Foxx reveals, "Legally my mother is my sister because the lady who adopted her in turn adopted me. It's a unique situation."

He stresses, "There are a lot of kids out there who just need a home, somewhere they can go to and have somebody who wants kids and wants to love them. A lot of times, that's all that it takes."