Shirley Hemphill

Shirley Ann Hemphill July 1 1947 December 10 1999 was an American standup comedian and actress best known for brassy waitress Shirley Wilson on the sitcom Whats Happening 197679 a role she reprised in the sequel series Whats Happening Now 198588 A native of Asheville North Carolina Hemphill moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue a career as a standup comedian After working the Los Angeles comedy club circuit her routine eventually attracted attention leading to her being cast in guest starring roles on television Whats Happening was a modest hit for ABC but production and cast problems caused the network to cancel the series in 1979 The following year Hemphill was cast in her own sitcom One in a Million The series failed to attract an audience and was canceled in June 1980 Following the cancellation of Whats Happening Now Hemphill returned to standup comedy and also made occasional appearances in films and television until her death in December 1999