Hey, hey, hey….

Happy trails to Fred Berry, better known as Rerun on What’s Happening!! and What’s Happening Now!, who checked out today at age 52. (I’m slightly disturbed to discover Rerun was only a year younger than my Dad, by the way.) I spent more Saturday evenings than I can remember winding down after long days of street football and assorted mischief watching (ahem) reruns of Raj, Dwayne, Dee, Mama (who I don’t think had a real name), Shirley, and Rerun. I know those shows probably catch flack for perpetuating some stereotypes, and maybe deservedly so. But count me as one white boy who credits a small piece of his cultural appreciation to thirty minutes a week with these folks…

Anyway you cut it, Fred lived quite a life. I’m not sure he ever took the red beret off, and I saw him doing that dance on TV not too long ago. He battled through drug and alcohol problems in the 80’s and eventually became a Baptist minister (let’s maybe leave that one alone). The tale of the tape also shows he may be the only man alive to have been married six times, but to only four women. Have fun with that one.