‘Good Times’ star John Amos’ cause of death revealed, daughter admits she learned of it from press reports
K.C. Amos announced this week that his father John Amos, who was also known for his roles in ‘Roots,’ ‘Coming to America,’ and ‘The West Wing,’ had died
John Amos died of congestive heart failure in late August, according to his death certificate obtained by Fox News Digital.
The news of the “Good Times” actor’s death was announced by his son. K.C. Amos on Tuesday, but his daughter, Shannon Amos, revealed on her Instagram page on Wednesday that she didn’t know her father had died until she read about it in the press.
“I am without words…Our family has received the heartbreaking news that my Dad, John Allen Amos, Jr., transitioned on August 21st,” she wrote along with a video of her dancing with Amos over Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father.”
“This should be a time of honoring and celebrating his life, yet we are struggling to navigate the wave of emotions and uncertainties surrounding his passing,” she added. “Still, there is some semblance of peace in knowing my father is finally free.”
She said that her family appreciates the “outpouring of love, calls, and texts. Please continue to hold our family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.”
On Tuesday, K.C. said in a statement shared with the Hollywood Reporter, “It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned. He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.”
Per Amos’s death certificate, K.C. was listed as the informant, the person, usually a family member, who provides personal information about the deceased on the certificate.
Amos, 84, played James Evans Sr. on the Norman Lear-produced sitcom “Good Times,” which ran from 1974 until 1979.
“That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be,” Amos told Time magazine in 2021 of the groundbreaking sitcom, which was the first to depict a Black two-parent family on TV.
He was also known for his roles on “Roots,” “Coming to America” and “The West Wing.”
Last December, Amos described his family dynamic as “acrimonious” but said he loves his daughter.
“Right now, it is somewhat acrimonious, but never mind what you might read or hear about in the paper or on this medium or that medium platform,” he told People magazine at the time after Shannon accused K.C. of elder abuse of their father. “Suffice it to say we are still family, and we love each other, and that’s the bottom line.”
He added, “It is [K.C.’s] sibling, that is my daughter, my first child. I love her. K.C. loves his sister. We just have, I guess, what might be best described in the tabloids is an acrimonious relationship, but everything heals in time, and the love is still there.”
Amos and K.C. were also working on a docuseries about his life and relationship with his son called “America’s Dad.”
“It covers my career, his career, our joint careers,” Amos told People in February. “And it’s something that I think every father and son will want to see.”
Fox News Digital has reached out Shannon and K.C. Amos for comment.
