lˈeɪɾɚɹ ɪn lˈaɪf, hiː pɚfˈɔːɹmd ˌʌndɚ hɪz ɡˈɪvən nˈeɪm ˌɔn hɪz fɹˈɛnd ɹˈɛd fˈɑːksᵻz tˌiːvˈiː ʃˈoʊ sˈænfɚd ænd sˈʌn æz fɹˈɛdz fɹˈɛnd, ˈɔːlsoʊ nˈeɪmd mˈɛlvɪn, ænd hæd ɐ mˈɪliəndˈɑːlɚ kˈɑːntɹækt tə pɚfˈɔːɹm æt ðə flɐmˈɪŋɡoʊ hoʊtˈɛl ɪn lˌɑːs vˈeɪɡəs ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː.
Later in life, he performed under his given name on his friend Redd Foxx's TV show Sanford and Son as Fred's friend, also named Melvin, and had a million-dollar contract to perform at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1973.