David Adkins is an American actor and stand-up comedian who has appeared in many TV series and films. The famous actor is widely known for his stage name Sinbad. David Adkins was the host of Showtime at the Apollo in 1989. He also played the role of Walter Oakes on the TV series, A different world.
The actor/comedian has starred in films like First kid, Necessary Roughness, Planes, Jingle all the way, Houseguest, and Good Burger. His first time on stage was on an Air Force talent show, where he discovered his ability to make people laugh with comedy. And since, David has come a long way. Let us learn more about him.
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Early Life, Family, And Education
David, aka Sinbad, was born on November 10, 1956, in Benton Harbor. He was born to parents Louise Adkins and Donald Beckley Adkins. David Adkins' father, Donald, was a baptist minister in their hometown of Michigan. His parents were both African-American and raised Sinbad along with his five siblings. His brother's names are Donald Adkins, Mark Adkins, Michael Adkins, while his sisters are Dorothea Adkins and Donna Adkins.
Sinbad's brother Mark and sister Dorothea Adkins have produced and also worked as actors for him in the 1991 David's TV special documentary, Sinbad: Brain Damaged. The actor recalls his parents were very supportive and helped him and his siblings become the people they are today.
The actor got his diploma from Bent Harbour High School. Furthermore, David had received scholarships from several universities for further studies but rejected them all. He later joined the Air Force but went AWOL after he didn't make it into the Air Force basketball team. David Adkins wanted to be a basketball player but had to quit sports after a knee injury. He was discharged from military service in 1983 and married Meredith Fuller two years later.
Married And A Father Of Two
David Adkins married Meredith Fuller in 1985. The couple divorced each-other in 1992 before remarrying again in 2002. Sinbad has even shared his marriage and divorce experience with his audiences in a stand-up event where the actor announced, that his marriage had been reunited because of their understanding among each other over the years. Apart from being David Adkins's wife, Meredith is a producer in short dramas like The Girl WIth No Brain, Outcast, and Retrospect. The lovely couple has two children, Paige Adkins and Royce Beckley Adkins.
Sinbad's Children Paige Adkins and Royce Beckley Adkins
The comedian's children have acquired their father's impressive genes. Sinbad's daughter Paige Adkins was inspired by Music when she accompanied her father to a 70's soul music festival. She chose her career in Music despite taking Journalism from Arizona State University. Paige performed at Fox & Friends and Today Show, where she gained exposure and made many songs. Her mother, Meredith Adkins became her manager to support her music career.
David Adkins enjoys spending time with his grandson Jalen Sky Adkins. Image source: David's Instagram.
Royce Beckley Adkins is Sinbad's youngest son. Sinbad's son Royce is an editor and director. He is known for his work on Outcast, The Girl With No Brain and, L and X of a Single Angelino. Furthermore, he married Bianca Renee on July 17, 2016. The couple is blessed with a baby boy whom they named Jalen Sky Adkins. With the arrival of a new member in the family, David Adkins is a proud grandfather who doesn't hesitate to show his affection for the newborn on his Instagram and other social media handles. Now as a grandparent, Sinbad certainly loves spending his time with his grandson along with the rest of his family.
Career And Net worth
Multiple sites suggest David Adkins' net worth differently. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has a fortune of $4 million. However, in 2013 according to The Richest, he had a debt of $11 million and earned $16k per month. Nevertheless, we can say that David surely has played in millions of dollars.
Sinbad had his first special for HBO called Sinbad: Brain-Damaged recorded in Atlanta. He won the 1995 image award for another special called Sinbad: Afros and Bellbottoms at Paramount Theater in Madison Square Garden. The actor also recorded Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man in 1996 and Sinbad: Nothin' but the Funk in 1998.
David Adkins first appeared on The Redd Fox Show, an American TV sitcom that got canceled after broadcasting for three months due to low ratings. His idol Bill Cosby helped him get a role as Walter Oakes in A Different World in 1987. He then went on to work for the series until 1991. In 1993 David also got a chance to air his show on Fox called The Sinbad Show, a sitcom revolving around the actors' personal experience. The TV show also got canceled despite David's nomination as Favorite Television Actor Award at the 1995 Kids' Choice Awards. The acclaimed comedian was also in a show called Celebrity apprentice in 2010. He got fired after only two episodes by Donald Trump.
David Adkins has an estimated net wort of $4 million amassed from his multiple ventures. Image source: David's Instagram.
Sinbad has starred in several TV series and films. The actor starred in A Different World(1987-1992), The Sinbad Show(1993-1994), Sinbad: It's Just Family(2011), Rel(2018-2019) among many others.
Sinbad made his first appearances in films like First Kid and Jingle in which he starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger among many other films. He went on to work with Phil Hartman in the comedy film Houseguest. In 2004, David Adkins was mentioned as one of The Greatest Stand Up Comic of All Time on Comedy Central presents 100 Greatest Stand-ups of all time. However, in 2006 Sinbad was ranked as the worst comic of all time by Maxim magazine. Here are some of David Adkin's movies alongside their box-office collection with reference to the Rotten Tomatoes.
| Movies | Box Office Collection |
| Houseguest | $26 million |
| Planes | $90.3 million |
| Jingle All The Way | $60 million |
| First Kid | $26.5 million |
| Good Burger | $23.7 million |
| Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco | $32.8 million |
| The Meteor Man | $8 million |
Furthermore, David has also been active outside the TV and film industry, endorsing products and making music with his band. The actor continues to work alongside his daughter and singer Paige Adkins in a music band. The duo had been touring the country under a new alias Memphis Red and the Funk Nasty Band. Though the actor has an active career, David Adkins's salary is still not disclosed to the public.
Endorses Apple
David Adkins has been endorsing Apple products for a long time. He has been a celebrity speaker at MacWorld Expo 2011. Sinbad has been working with Apple for a long time, as the actor is paid a significant amount of money for it.
Started As A Stand-up Comedian
After his discharge from the Air Force, David took the stage name Sinbad to pursue his career in the entertainment industry. He focused on doing stand-up comedy and acting in small roles. He began performing in comedy clubs and bars in Wichita, Kansas, where he opened acts for music bands. Sinbad's approach towards clean comedy was due to his early upbringing with his father who was a baptist minister. The actor has also stated that he doesn't like using profanity or sexual content and is against provocative jokes.
"I remember I cursed on stage. And it was one of the worst feelings I ever had. People were laughing, the actor also said he would rather quit comedy forever before he does that."
Had Filed For Bankruptcy Twice
As stated earlier, David Adkins's net worth is estimated to be $4 million. However back in 2013, the actor and stand-up comedian had revealed his total assets of $131k and debts of $10.99 million. Sinbad had filed for bankruptcy for the second time in 2013 after his first request in 2009 was dismissed because the actor had filled the wrong form. Sinbad owed a total of $8.3 million to the IRS for taxes from 1998-2006 and admitted he owed both state and federal taxes from 2009-2012. He also owed $374,979 to American Express, $32,199 to Bank of America, and $2.3 million to the CA Franchise Tax Board according to TMZ.
The Houseguest actor had also said that his debts came from business expenses and not from a lavish and rich lifestyle. When asked about his ill-luck, the actor has stated that he had never tried to live large at all but had made bad investments in business and people. David Adkins was placed in the Top 10 worst tax debtors for the state of California for unpaid personal income tax.
As of now, the actor is also active online through his social media handles. Going through David's Instagram, what we can assume is that he is prospering along the way. He uses his social media handles to let his fans know about his health, upcoming comedy shows, and other programs. SInce It has already been over 5 years since David had filed for bankruptcy, one can guess that he must have paid all the dues by now.
Like his stage name Sinbad, David is a man with a big heart. Regardless of his misfortunes, he still shares details regarding charities and fundraisers to help needy people. He also supports funding programs that help students with their education expenses.
David Adkins Has Faced Serious Health Problems.
The actor has also been losing money due to his health issues. Sinbad has undergone spinal fusion surgery that lasted about 10 hours. Spinal fusion surgery is a procedure in which vertebrates are welded together. Sinbad had also previously operated on both of his knees that added woes to his health making his leg a little longer than the other. Due to his health issues, the actor has not been able to perform well on stage like he used to. His health complications have also been a factor in decreasing his income.
The Houseguest actor also suffered a stroke in November 2020 and was rushed to the hospital. The actor's family later reported that Sinbad is out of danger and recovering slowly, thanks to his fans for keeping him in their prayers.
David Adkins aka Sinbad is an American actor and stand-up comedian. The actor has appeared in many TV series and films over his career as an actor and a comedian. He has made people from around the world happy and has kept us laughing through his performances, on and off-screen. Despite his troubles, David Adkins is still in no way giving up yet. The actor has been touring the country, lending his voice for animations, and spending time with his family. The legend has lived up to his stage name Sinbad and motivated people to do what they enjoy doing.
Fun Facts and Trivia
- Sinbad was a basketball player at the University of Denver before his injury.
- David Adkins is friends with Steve Harvey and Loni Love
- Sinbad appeared in Star Search, a comedy contest in 1983, and became the runner-up after losing to John Kassir.
- Sinbad had filed for bankruptcy twice.
