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Have to fly. Have to fight. Have to crow. Have to save Maggie, have to save Jack. Hook is back!
-TootlesHook
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 Shirley Hemphill was a determined young lady with a sharp sense of humor and a big dream. An impossible dream, really, for a poor day laborer living in small-town Asheville, North Carolina in 1972. Shirley Hemphill wanted to become a comedy star.
In a ploy that almost never worked then and certain wouldn't be successful today, the class clown of Hill Street High recorded her best bits on a borrowed cassette recorder and sent the tape to Flip Wilson. Wilson was one of TV's biggest stars, his variety show was in its third year on NBC.
Flip responded with an invitation for Shirley to visit a taping of his show in LA. He also sent her a dozen roses for luck - and her own cassette recorder.
She made the trip to see Flip. Returning to Asheville with stars in her eyes, she worked at menial jobs, saving her meager salary for bus fare back to Los Angeles in 1973.
Serving fast food by day and working the comedy clubs at night, she landed a few small TV roles - but was ready to give up when she was cast as sassy waitress Shirley Wilson in What's Happening!!, a four-episode 1976 summer series on ABC.
After years of working different waitressing jobs, it was a role she would play with relish.
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