Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | May 1, 2026
I cannot overemphasize the effect seeing Sinbad had on me as a child. He had definitely been on my young radar, thanks to movies like Meteor Man and the occasional television performance. But one day, I saw his specials, Son of a Preacher Man and Afros and Bellbottoms, on TV, and it was over. He officially became one of the funniest people I had ever seen in my life. He was talking about dieting and 70s culture, both of which were very important to a chubby ten-year-old boy with an afro.
He also kind of looked like me. He’s a bit darker, but seeing someone with his complexion getting to act a fool on-stage was a very important thing for me growing up. It felt like something was unlocked. I still remember howling at his jokes about kids fiending for Pixie Sticks and picking out your afro only to have the back be flat as hell (the worst). He felt ever-present in my life for a while, and then, he just kinda disappeared, not just from my eyes but from a lot of people’s.
I’ve since learned the harsh truths of show business: longevity is hard. While Sinbad did not retain the levels of popularity that he achieved in the 90s, he continued working and doing stand-up. I remember losing my mind when he made a guest appearance on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (I was already in the pocket for that show, but it felt like he was anointing it). He had a starring role as Lil Rel Howery’s dad on the sitcom Rel in 2018, and appeared in a Tyler Perry movie called Straw in 2025.
He’s kept going, despite having a stroke in 2020 that left him without the ability to walk. It’s certainly a tragic development for someone who rose to fame, in part, thanks to their seemingly boundless energy. He has still done some screen work since his stroke, and this week, he returned to the stage. The comedian and actor announced on his Instagram, in a very heartfelt post, that he would be returning to the stage this week and that his daughter was going to open for him, something that definitely hit me in the old feels.
He and his family have claimed that this will hopefully be the first of many return performances for Sinbad. I hope that’s the case. But, more than anything else, I just hope that he’s as happy as he has made me for all these years.
