A popular African American television comic character of the 1980s and 1990s, Sinbad, whose offstage name is David Adkins, offered wholesome, family-oriented entertainment for children and adults alike. The legitimate heir to Bill Cosby's clean-cut comic style, Adkins, an African American, broke barriers at mainstream studios like Disney by starring in youth-oriented feature films with predominately white casts, such as Houseguest (1995) and First Kid (1996).

Sinbad first entered mainstream culture as dorm director, Walter Oakes, on the Cosby-produced NBC sitcom A Different World (1987- 1991), once the nation's number-three rated show. It was this role that catapulted Sinbad into living rooms across the nation. Following the show's run, Sinbad gained further notoriety as host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, where his improvisational storytelling on topics such as hair weaves, parenting, and divorce helped to make him one of America's most widely-recognized funny men.

Born in Benton Harbor...