In the 1970s, actress Ja'net DuBois became a quickly beloved character, Willona Woods, on the classic sitcom, Good Times. However, not many know the kind of influence she had outside of her iconic character. According to ABC's Good Morning America, DuBois also possessed the soulful voice that sang the legendary theme song of another sitcom, The Jeffersons.The Jeffersons was an instant classic and spinoff of All in the Family. The show was representative of a black couple who had hurdled racial barriers and ultimately achieved the life of a higher-class family. Thus, the idea for the show's catchy theme song, "Movin' On Up," was born.
According to Yahoo! News, DuBois' voice was simply adored by her fans and costars. In a conversation with DuBois' costar, Bern Nadette Stanis, the actress recalls, "She was very, very talented. If she wasn’t singing ... she was creating a character to make us laugh."
Sadly, DuBois died at the age of 74 from natural causes. The late actress was loved by many and even admired by the likes of singer Janet Jackson. When speaking of DuBois, Jackson publicly states, "I am so very saddened to hear my longtime friend Ja’Net DuBois has passed away. I saw firsthand how she broke stereotypes and changed the landscape for Black women in entertainment."
