David Adkins better known by his stage name Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor,who got really popular in the 1990s. You might have seen him on his own HBO comedy specials or on TV shows like “A Different World” and “The Sinbad Show.” He’s also been in movies like “Coneheads,” “Jingle All the Way,” and “Planes.” Sinbad’s known for his humor and his larger-than-life personality that makes him a beloved figure in the entertainment industry.

 

His grandma on his dad’s side was Irish.

Sinbad went to Benton Harbor High School and finished in 1974. Then, he went to the University of Denver in Colorado from 1974 to 1978.  He even played basketball there for two seasons.

Sinbad joined the United States Air Force and worked as a boom operator on KC-135 Stratotankers.
While stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, he started doing stand-up comedy downtown.
In 1981, he even competed in the Air Force’s Talent Contest as a comedian and MC.

However, Sinbad got into trouble for things like going AWOL, and he was nearly kicked out with a dishonorable discharge.

How did Sinbad become famous?

To make a name for himself in showbiz, Adkins went by the stage name Sinbad, inspired by Sinbad the Sailor.
He started doing stand-up comedy on a show called Star Search.  Sinbad did really well, winning against another comedian named Dennis Miller. He even made it to the finals but lost to John Kassir.

Later, he got a role on a short-lived sitcom called “The Redd Foxx Show,” where he played a character named Byron Lightfoot. In 1987, Sinbad joined the cast of “A Different World,” a show that came from “The Cosby Show.”
In “The Cosby Show,” he played a car salesman named Davis Sarrette in just one episode.

But on “A Different World,” Sinbad played Coach Walter Oakes. Even though Lisa Bonet left after one season, Sinbad stayed on the show from 1988 to 1991.

In the early 1990s, Sinbad became really popular, and Fox decided to make a show just for him called “The Sinbad Show.” It started on September 16, 1993. In the show, Sinbad played a 35-year-old guy named David Bryan. He’s single and decides to become a foster parent to two kids because he got attached to them emotionally.

Around the same time, Sinbad also got joint custody of his own two kids: Royce, who was 4, and Paige, who was 7. He told the press that his experiences as a parent influenced his role on the show.

The Sinbad Show was canceled, with the last episode airing April 21, 1994. However, the role earned him a nomination in the 1995 Kids’ Choice Awards for “Favorite Television Actor”.

In 1990, Sinbad made his first stand-up comedy special for HBO called “Sinbad: Brain Damaged.” They recorded it at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.  Then in 1993, he did another stand-up special at New York City’s Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden called “Sinbad: Afros and Bellbottoms.” He even won a 1995 Image Award for his performance.

After tasting fame, Sinbad did more specials like “Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man” in 1996, recorded at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado, and “Sinbad: Nothin’ but the Funk” in 1997. All these shows were released on VHS and DVD.

Sinbad won another NAACP Image Award in 1998 for his role in “Sinbad’s Summer Jam III: ’70s Soul Music Festival.” In 1995, he started a company called “David & Goliath Productions” in Studio City.

From 1989 to 1991, Sinbad hosted “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” and he returned in 2005 when the regular host, Mo’Nique, was on maternity leave. He also hosted an episode of “Soul Train” on January 14, 1995.

Sinbad even appeared as a contestant on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” in 1998. Plus, he was the emcee for the May 2000 Miss Universe Pageant.

During the 1990s, Sinbad showed up on an episode of Nickelodeon’s “All That.” In one sketch, he played the dad of a character named Ishboo, called “Sinboo.” He also popped up in the comedy movie “Good Burger,” which starred Kenan & Kel.

Sinbad starred with Phil Hartman in the comedy film “Houseguest.” He was also in “First Kid,” where he played the lead role. Plus, he was in “Jingle All the Way” in 1996 with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rita Wilson, and the late Phil Hartman.

For “Jingle All the Way,” Sinbad won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for “Favorite Supporting Actor – Family.”
It was his third and final movie with Hartman, who sadly passed away in May 1998.

In March 1996, Sinbad joined First Lady Hillary Clinton and musician Sheryl Crow, in a USO tour in Bosnia and Herzegovina .

In 1996, Sinbad’s role in “Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child” got recognized at the NAACP Image Awards.
He was nominated in the “Outstanding Performance in an Animated/Live-Action/Dramatic Youth or Children’s Series/Special” category.

Sinbad also lent his voice to a character named Riley in “Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco,” and later voiced a horse called “Hollywood Shuffle” in “Ready to Run.”

Then, in 1997, Sinbad released a book called “Sinbad’s Guide to Life: Because I Know Everything.” It’s a collection of funny short essays, and he wrote it with David Ritz.

In August 1997, Vibe magazine launched its own late-night talk show on UPN, hosted by actor Chris Spencer. However, Spencer got fired in October, and Sinbad took over as the host.  The show ran until the summer of 1998. Around the same time, Sinbad did his HBO comedy special “Nothin’ But the Funk” at Aruba’s Guillermo P. Trinidad Memorial Stadium.

In 1998 and 1999, Sinbad worked with Bill Cosby and Carsey-Werner Productions again and appeared in three episodes of “Cosby.” In February 1999, he was featured in an infomercial for Tae Bo, where he said he was using the Tae Bo system to become an action star.

In 2002, Sinbad appeared in three episodes of the Showtime series “Resurrection Blvd.” Then, in 2004, Comedy Central named him the No. 78 Greatest Stand-Up Comic of All Time on their show “Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.”

However, in 2006, Maxim magazine ranked Sinbad as the “Worst Comic of All Time.”

In February 2007, actor Mark Curry said Sinbad and Bill Cosby helped him through a tough time and stopped him from committing suicide.

Sinbad also played a role in discovering the R&B trio 702. He convinced their parents to let him take them to a music convention/competition under the name “Sweeta than Suga.”  Eventually, the group was heard by music producer Michael Bivins.

Sinbad also had a cameo on the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”  He played himself in a rehab center in an episode called “Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life,” which aired on October 23, 2008. Fans of both Sinbad and the series loved his cameo.

He hosted “Thou Shalt Laugh 3,” and the DVD came out on November 11, 2008.

Sinbad did a Comedy Central TV special called “Where U Been?” at Club Nokia, and it was a big hit. They even released it on DVD.

On March 14, 2010, he joined “Celebrity Apprentice,” but unfortunately, he got fired in the second episode on March 21, 2010, after losing a challenge as project manager.

Sinbad had a reality show on WE tv called “Sinbad: It’s Just Family,” which aired on Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the show got canceled in 2011.

In 2013, Sinbad voiced a character named Roper in the animated film “Planes.” He also made guest appearances on the adult animated series “American Dad!” He voiced an animated version of himself in a few episodes.

In April 2015, Sinbad performed in a USO show at Bagram and Kandahar Air Bases in Afghanistan.

In 2017, he lent his voice to a character called Uroho the baboon in two episodes of Disney Junior’s “The Lion Guard.”
Sinbad also appeared in a CollegeHumor April Fool’s video about a fake 1990s genie movie called “Shazaam.”

From 2018 to 2019, he starred in the TV show “Rel.”

Sinbad is a big fan of Apple products and has been promoting them for a while. He’s been involved with Apple and has shown up at their events like Macworld and WWDC.  On January 25, 2011, he was the celebrity speaker of MacWorld Expo.

Sinbad isn’t just a comedian—he’s also a talented percussionist and drummer. After his shows, he often showcases his musical skills. He’s played with many artists using the name “Memphis Red,” including Dawnn Lewis and Journell Henry, also known as J. Henry, who’s an adult-urban instrumentalist, playing the saxophone.

Sinbad married Meredith Fuller in 1985, and they have two children together named Royce Adkins and Paige Adkins. They got divorced in 1992 but remarried in 2002.

In November 2022, he had suffered an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot traveling from his heart to his brain. After undergoing multiple surgeries, he was put into a medically induced coma and placed on a ventilator.  Over the next few months, Sinbad moved through acute care facilities, where he gradually came off the ventilator and was cleared to start intense therapy. In May 2021, he was admitted to the California Rehabilitation Institute, where he began physical, occupational, and speech therapy.  There, Sinbad started making significant progress toward recovery.

Two years after his stroke, Sinbad is learning to walk again, showing his determination not to give up the fight.

How tall is Sinbad?

Sinbad is 6 feet 2 inches tall, which is about 188 centimeters.

Sinbad –  Net Worth

Sinbad, a comedian and actor from Michigan, has a net worth of $100,000.

In April 2009, Sinbad was named one of the ten worst tax debtors in California. He owed the state $2.5 million in personal income tax. Then, on December 11, 2009, Sinbad filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. To help with his financial troubles, on February 5, 2010, he put his 2.5-acre hilltop home up for sale.

 

Trivia on Sinbad

• Military Background: Before his comedy career took off, Sinbad served in the United States Air Force as a boom operator on KC-135 Stratotankers. His experiences in the military influenced some of his early comedic material.
• Stage Name Inspiration: Sinbad chose his stage name as a tribute to Sinbad the Sailor, a character from Middle Eastern folklore known for his adventurous spirit and storytelling prowess.
• Air Force Talent Contest: While stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, Sinbad competed in the Air Force’s Talent Contest as a comedian and Master of Ceremonies (MC), showcasing his early comedic talents.
• Trouble in the Air Force: Sinbad faced disciplinary issues during his time in the Air Force, including instances of going AWOL, which nearly led to a dishonorable discharge. These challenges ultimately contributed to his decision to pursue a career in comedy.
• Talented Athlete: In addition to his comedy skills, Sinbad was also an athlete during his college years. He played basketball for the University of Denver in Colorado for two seasons.
• Entrepreneurship: Sinbad founded a company called “David & Goliath Productions” in Studio City during the mid-1990s. This venture demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit beyond the realm of entertainment.
• Book Author: In 1997, Sinbad published a book titled “Sinbad’s Guide to Life: Because I Know Everything,” co-written with David Ritz. The book offers humorous insights and anecdotes, reflecting his unique perspective on life.