- published: 01 Jul 2016
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James Carter "Jimmie" Walker, Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian, known for portraying James Evans, Jr. (J.J.), the oldest son of Florida and James Evans, Sr. on the CBS television series Good Times, (1974–1979); in which he was nominated for Golden Globe awards Best Supporting Actor In A Television Series in 1975 and 1976. While on the show, Walker's character was known for the catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!" which he also used in his mid-1970s TV commercial for a Panasonic line of cassette and 8-track tape players. He also starred in Let's Do It Again with Amos, and The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened with James Earl Jones. Walker continues to tour the country with his stand-up comedy routine.
Walker was born in The Bronx, New York. He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in New York City. Through a federal program known as SEEK, or "Search for Education, Evaluation, and Knowledge," he continued his studies and entered into the field of radio engineering with WRVR. As a young man, Walker was a vendor at Yankee Stadium, starting with the 1964 World Series. He was given a silver dollar by Mickey Mantle, which he still has. Walker was very friendly with Gary Cohen, who went on to be operations manager at Yankee Stadium. In 1967, Walker began working full-time with WRVR, the radio station of the Riverside Church. During 1975 Walker was also a weekend personality on contemporary R&B music station KAGB 103.9 FM licensed to Inglewood in the Los Angeles market.