Nipsey Russell

Julius "Nipsey" Russell (September 15, 1918 – October 2, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, poet, and dancer best known for his appearances as a panelist on game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s, including ''Match Game'', ''Password'', ''Hollywood Squares'', ''To Tell the Truth'', and ''Pyramid''. His appearances were often distinguished by short, humorous poems he recited during the broadcast, which led to his nickname "the poet laureate of television". He had one of the leading roles in the film version of ''The Wiz'' as the Tin Man. He was a frequent guest on the ''Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' series and often appeared on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' during the program's early years. Provided by Wikipedia