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Shirley Ann Hemphill (July 1, 1947 - December 10, 1999) was an American stand-up comedian and actress. She was best known for her role on the television situation comedy What's Happening!!, which ran from 1976 to 1979.
Hemphill began her career as a stand-up comic but without much fanfare. In an effort to receive some notice, she decided to record some of her best routine on a borrowed cassette recorded and send the tape to comedian Flip Wilson who, at the time, was a major television star, enjoying the third season on his own TV variety show. Wilson enjoyed the tape and invited Hemphill to L.A. to attend a taping of his show. He also sent her a dozen roses for luck and her very own cassette recorder. After Hemphill returned home from the taping, she was determined to become a comedy star. She became a waitress at a fast food restaurant during the day and worked comedy clubs at night.
In 1976, Hemphill's stand-up routine started to get noticed and was invited to guest star on the TV comedy sitcoms, All's Fair and Good Times. That same year she landed the role of sarcastic waitress Shirley Wilson on the comedy TV series What's Happening!!, which was adopted from Eric Monte's film Cooley High. The series would go on to air for three seasons.
Following What's Happening, Hemphill starred in her own sitcom, One in a Million, in early 1980, in which she portrayed a taxi driver who inherited a huge corporation and fortune from one of her customers. The series was cancelled after 13 episodes.
Afterward Shirley would spent most of the early 80's working in nightclubs around the country and doing the occasional guest appearance on TV shows, including The Love Boat and Trapper John, M.D. In 1985 she was invited to co-star on the revival of What's Happening!! entitled What's Happening Now!!, which ran from 1985 to 1988.
After What's Happening Now!! ended its three-year run, Shirley again worked the nightclub scene and doing the occasional acting gig on a number of 90's comedy sitcoms, including Martin (TV series), and The Wayans Bros., among others. In 1994 she appeared in her first movie, CB4, starring Chris Rock. Two years later she co-starred in her second movie, Shoot the Moon, staring Whitney Anderson, in 1996.
Throughout her career, Hemphill performed her stand-up routine on a number of popular TV shows including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, A&E's An Evening at the Improv, BET's Black Comedy Showcase and Black Comedy Tonight. She was also a regular at The Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles.
On December 10, 1999, Hemphill died of kidney failure at her home in suburban Los Angeles, California. She was reportedly found dead by her gardener.
