ie ▁married ▁Edd ie ▁Anderson , ▁Billy ▁was ▁adopted ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁surname ▁Anderson . ▁ ▁Following ▁Mam ie ' s ▁death , ▁Anderson ▁married ▁Ev ang ela ▁" E va " ▁Simon ▁on ▁February ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁at ▁King man , ▁Arizona . ▁The ▁couple ▁had ▁three ▁children : ▁daughters ▁Steph anie ▁and ▁Ev ang ela ▁Jr . ▁(" E va "), ▁and ▁son ▁Edmund ▁Jr . ▁Simon ▁and ▁Anderson ▁divor ced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁with ▁Anderson ▁retain ing ▁cust ody ▁of ▁his ▁minor ▁son ▁and ▁daughter . ▁ ▁Home ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁African - Amer icans ▁in ▁the ▁entertain ment ▁industry , ▁Anderson ▁made ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Adams ▁district ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁ ▁In ▁previous ▁times , ▁the ▁district ▁had ▁been ▁home ▁to ▁do ctors , ▁law y ers , ▁and ▁rail road ▁bar ons . ▁In ▁the ▁De pression ▁era , ▁the ▁area ▁had ▁fallen ▁into ▁hard ▁times , ▁with ▁many ▁residents ▁need ing ▁to ▁either ▁sell ▁their ▁homes ▁or ▁rent ▁out ▁rooms ▁in ▁them . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁the ▁African - American ▁entertain ment ▁community ▁began ▁purch asing ▁homes ▁in ▁the ▁district , ▁nick nam ing ▁it ▁" S ug ar ▁Hill ". ▁ ▁Some ▁property ▁own ers ▁react ed ▁to ▁their ▁new ▁neighb ors ▁by ▁adding ▁restrict ive ▁c oven ants ▁to ▁their ▁de eds . ▁ ▁The ▁c oven ants ▁either ▁prohib ited ▁African - Amer