RIP John Witherspoon: Bang, Bang, Bang, Coordinate & More Of His Top Moments

We truly lost legend — cultural icon John Witherspoon passed away.

According to Witherspoon’s family the actor died suddenly on Tuesday at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. A statement from the family reads, “It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you ‘POPS’ always & forever.”

It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you “POPS” always & forever.

– The Witherspoon Family pic.twitter.com/ov9P34kaMn

— John Witherspoon (@John_POPS_Spoon) October 30, 2019

Immediately, upon word of his passing, the tweets of remembrance came flooding in from fans who loved his work in “Friday,” “Boondocks,” “The Wayans Bros.,” and more.

One of the hardest parts about getting older is losing the icons you grew up watching. John Witherspoon knew how to make black people laugh, BANG BANG BANG! RIP Pops 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/fiOxPQOShe

— Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) October 30, 2019

Yo, this really really hurt me. Mr. Witherspoon provided me and so many others countless laughs. Rest In Power, Pops😭 pic.twitter.com/lIBKUGlZjx

— Sir Stygian the High-man being (@StygianHaven) October 30, 2019

.I'm legit crushed, man. RIP to John "Pops" Witherspoon. Much like Martin and The Fresh Prince…The Wayans Bros helped raise me. I literally saw the first episode on January 12, 1995. Thank you for your life and your contribution to my life, Mr. Witherspoon🙏🏿😢💔 pic.twitter.com/bEK7lZYVbV

— Check Out #BlackCoffee on BET (@jameerpond) October 30, 2019

A speaking of his incredible talent, here are some of our favorite moments…

A VOCALIST – BANG BANG BANG

As Pops on “The Wayans Bros.” show, Witherspoon always came with the funny. But one of his most memorable moments was when he performed his legendary hit, “Bang Bang Bang”. And he did it every chance he got!

#JohnWitherspoon Pops had us all singing “My Love Goes Bang, Bang, Bang” The Wayans Bros. pic.twitter.com/rNzVIdI4Sq

— Eddie Caligula (@EddieisCaligula) October 30, 2019

We are sad to say goodbye to John Witherspoon. Most known as Ice Cubes’s Dad in Friday, others knew him as Grandad in The Boondocks and Pop’s from The Wayans Bros.

Here’s one of our favorite scenes of him performing his hit
“BANG! BANG! BANG! 😂

John Witherspoon
1942-2019 pic.twitter.com/KQDlZHCyJC

— THE AUXGOD (@TheOXGod) October 30, 2019

NAH THIS THE EPISODE LMFAOOOOO WHEN POPS STOLE THE MIC FROM JERRY AND STARTED SINGING BANG BANG BANG 😭😭😭😭😭😭

R.I.P John Witherspoon 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/yT3H5cWSUT

— R.I.P Neighborhood Nip 💙💙🏁🏁🏁 (@Trill__Parcells) October 30, 2019

WITHERSPOON WISDOM

John wasn’t just a comedic talent, he could also drop jewels on wisdom delivering the drama during serious moments. One of his greatest was during a scene in “Friday” where he imparted some fatherly wisdom on his son Craig, played by Ice Cube.

#JohnWitherspoon was my comedy father growing up. He will he missed. #RIP Pops. 🙏🏽 Bang Bang Bang pic.twitter.com/EYCJjfPoZU

— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) October 30, 2019

FASHION ICON

He could sing, he could dance, and he could look good doing it. You know why? Because, as he told us in “Boomerang”, you got to cooooordinate!

THE BEST (AND MOST INAPPROPRIATE) GRANDAD EVER

He loved hard and hit even harder. John voiced the character Grandad aka Robert Jebediah Freeman and no one could have done it better.

And when we spoke to John when he was being roasted by his celebrity friends 10 years ago he reflected on these legendary moments.

John Witherspoon will undoubtedly be missed. A video posted to his YouTube account just two days ago showed an excited John ready for a busy year ahead which included the return of Boondocks and another “Friday” film.

RIP King.