By the mid-1950s, Russell was headlining New York's legendary Apollo Theater as well as popular Catskills resorts like the Concord. During a long residency at the fashionable Harlem cabaret, the Baby Grand, he captured the attention of Jack Paar, host of NBC television's popular #Tonight Show, and his appearances on the late-night gabfest launched the comedian to national prominence. In 1960 Russell signed to the Borderline label and released a series of comedy LPs including Confucius Told Me, Things They Never Taught at School, The Birds and the Bees and All That Jazz, and Sing Along with Nipsey Russell. In 1961, he was cast in NBC's #Car 54, Where Are You? and became one of the first African-American actors with a regular sitcom gig. But, as more politically-charged black comedians like Dick Gregory and Richard Pryor became a cause célèbre among white liberals, Russell's genial, earthy approach rapidly fell out of favor with audiences on both sides of the color line. He nevertheless deserves recognition as a television pioneer. In 1964 Russell became the first black performer to serve as a regular panelist on ABC's game show #Missing Links and a year later became co-host of the network's late-night #Les Crane Show.
During the 1970s, Russell maintained a tireless touring schedule. He became a nightclub staple in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City, a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's #Tonight Show, and also a popular panelist on daytime game shows including #Match Game, #Hollywood Squares and #The $25,000 Pyramid, where he always arrived prepared with a topical verse. In 1978, Russell made his feature film debut in the Hollywood musical bomb #The Wiz. He earned glowing reviews for his portrayal of the Tin Man but did not resurface on the big screen until 1986 when he appeared opposite Goldie Hawn in #Wildcats. Russell remained a television constant during the 1980s. In 1983, he starred in the BET cable network's #Juvenile Jury, and two years later, hosted the short-lived daytime game show #Your Number's Up for NBC. The demise of celeb-driven daytime game shows conspired to restrict Russell to the nightclub circuit in the decade to follow, however, although his popularity among a younger generation of comedians resulted in regular appearances on NBC's #Late Night with Conan O'Brien and HBO's #The Chris Rock Show. After a lengthy battle with cancer, Russell died in Manhattan on October 2, 2005, just 11 days shy of his 81st birthday. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi