Ja'Net DuBois - wikipedia Ja'Net DuBois Ja'Net DuBois DuBois as Willona Woods with her friend Walter Ingles ( portrayed by J.A. Preston ) on Good Times circa 1976. Jeannette Dubois ( 1938 - 08 - 05 ) August 5, 1938 ( age 80 ) or ( 1945 - 08 - 05 ) August 5, 1945 ( age 73 ) ( sources differ ) Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. ( sources differ ) Occupation Actress singer songwriter dancer Years active 1962 -- present Known for Willona Woods -- Good Times Ma Bell -- I 'm Gonna Git You Sucka Ms. Avery -- The PJs Spouse ( s ) Sajit Gupta ( divorced ) Children 2 or 4 ( sources differ ) Jeannette Dubois ( born August 5, 1938 or 1945 ) ( sources differ ), known professionally as Ja'Net DuBois, Ja'net DuBois, and Ja'Net Du Bois ( / dʒ ɑː ˈneɪ duːˈbwɑː / ), is an American actress, singer -- songwriter and dancer. DuBois is best known for her portrayal of Willona Woods, the neighborhood gossip maven and the Evans ' family friend on the sitcom Good Times, which originally aired from 1974 to 1979. DuBois additionally co -- wrote and sang the theme song `` Movin ' on Up '' for The Jeffersons which originally aired from 1975 until 1985. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life and career 2 Career 3 Accolades 4 Personal life 5 Discography 6 Film and television 7 Awards and nominations 8 Footnotes 9 References 10 External links Biography Early Life and career Born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, ( sources differ ), the daughter of Lillian Dubois, DuBois began her acting career in theater during the early 1960s, appearing in Golden Boy with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. and A Raisin in the Sun. DuBois ' early television acting credits include the 1969 television movie J.T. and the long -- television soap opera Love of Life, on which her 1970 -- 1972 role as Loretta Allen made her the first African -- American female as a regular cast - member on a daytime serial. ' In 1970, DuBois appeared in her first film, playing Vera in Diary of a Mad Housewife. Career Television producer Norman Lear saw DuBois in Lanford Wilson 's play The Hot l Baltimore at the Mark Taper Forum, which led to her being cast in the 1974 -- 1979 CBS comedy series Good Times. DuBois recorded the album Again, Ja'Net DuBois, on her Peanuts and Caviar label, in 1983. DuBois appeared in former Good Times co-star Janet Jackson 's 1987 `` Control '' music video as her mother. In 1992, she co-starred with Clifton Davis in And I Still Rise, a play written and directed by Maya Angelou. She co-starred in the films I 'm Gonna Git You Sucka ( 1988 ) and Charlie 's Angels : Full Throttle ( 2003 ), and on television in Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, A Different World, and The Wayans Bros... Accolades In 1995, DuBois won a CableAce award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Lifetime movie `` Other Women 's Children ''. In 2000, DuBois served as Grand mMrshal for the North Amityville Community Parade and Festival Day in Amityville, New York. She won two Emmy Awards for her voiceover work on the animated program The PJs ( 1999 ). DuBois with the cast of Good Times received The Impact Icon Award at the 2006 TV Land Awards. Personal Life DuBois has had at least two children, but some sources states she has four : Rani Dubois, and Raj Kristo Gupta, who died of cancer in 1987 at age 36. Rani appeared on an episode of the 1970s sitcom What 's Happening ! !. DuBois has been married once, to Sajit Gupta, but they have since divorced. Discography Queen of the Highway ( Som Livre, 1980 ) Hidden Treasures ( Peanuts & Caviar Internationale, 2007 ) Film and television Year ( s ) Title Role 1966 A Man Called Adam Martha 1969 J.T. Rodeen Gamble 1970 -- 72 Love of Life ( unknown episodes ) Loretta Allen 1972 Sanford and Son ( 1 episode ) Juanita Grismore 1973 Five on the Black Hand Side Stormy Monday 1973 Shaft ( 1 episode ) Diana Richie 1973 The Blue Knight Celia Louise 1974 -- 79 Good Times ( 133 episodes ) Willona Woods Kojak ( 1 episode ) Paula Thomas Caribe ( 1 episode ) Melinda Jameson 1977 A Piece of the Action Nellie Bond 1979 Roots : The Next Generations Sally Harvey 1980 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) Evelyn Hopkins 1981 Hellinger 's Law Dottie Singer 1981 The Facts of Life ( 1 episode ) Ethel ( Tootie 's grandmother ) 1981 The Sophisticated Gents Onetha Wiggins The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour Mrs. Gorman 1986 Stranded Bettina Kids Like These Mrs. Page I 'm Gonna Git You Sucka Ma Bell Nearly Departed ( 1 episode ) Clerk 1990 Penny Ante : The Motion Picture Aunt 1990 Heart Condition Mrs. Stone 1990 New Attitude ( 1 episode ) Irma 1990 Doctor Doctor ( 1 episode ) Ella Wilkes 1990 Hammer, Slammer, & Slade Joanne Wilson 1991 A Different World ( 1 episode ) Brenda Hanes 1991 True Colors ( 1 episode ) May Freeman 1991 Dream On ( 1 episode ) June Beverly Hills, 90210 ( 1 episode ) Arlene 1992 - 93 The Golden Palace ( 2 episodes ) Louise Wilson Harlan & Merleen Maxine 1994 Sister, Sister ( 1 episode ) Mom O'Danielle 1994 Hangin ' with Mr. Cooper ( 1 episode ) Dorothy Cooper 1995 Martin ( 1 episode ) Herself 1991 / 1995 Home Improvement ( 2 episodes ) Carol 1995 ER ( 1 episode ) Macy Chamberlain 1995 Magic Island Lucretia Sophie & the Moonhanger Agnes Do n't Look Back Mrs. Lawson 1997 Moesha ( 1 episode ) Mrs. Moss 1997 Touched by an Angel ( 1 episode ) Esther Hamilton 1996 -- 1998 The Wayans Bros. ( 10 episodes ) Grandma Ellington 1998 Best Friends for Life Katie Pegues 1998 Hard Time Lefty 1999 Clueless ( 1 episode ) Aunt Liddy 1999 Hard Time : Hostage Hotel Lefty, Logan 's Assistant 1999 -- 2001 The PJs ( 42 episodes ) Mrs. Florence Avery 2000 Waterproof Viola Battle 2000 The Steve Harvey Show ( 1 episode ) Delores 2000 Everybody Loves Raymond ( 1 episode ) Dottie 2000 / 2002 As Told by Ginger ( 2 episodes ) Mrs. Patterson 2003 Boomtown ( 1 episode ) Denise Smith 2003 One on One ( 1 episode ) Queen Esther 2003 Charlie 's Angels : Full Throttle Momma Bosley 2006 Crossing Jordan ( 1 episode ) Mrs. Jones 2007 Random ! Cartoons ( 1 episode ) Mom 2007 Cold Case ( 1 episode ) Edna Johnson 2011 G.I. Joe : Renegades Grams Hinton 2016 She 's Got a Plan Betty Angelo Awards and nominations Year Award Series Result 1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Touched by an Angel Nominated 1999 Primetime Emmy Outstanding Voice - Over Performance The PJs Won Primetime Emmy Outstanding Voice - Over Performance The PJs Won 2006 TV Land Image Award Good Times Won Footnotes Jump up ^ Capitalization of `` n '' in first name is uncertain in Good Times title card, which credits her in capital letters `` JA'NET du BOIS ''. Last name is given as two words, with `` du '' lowercase. References ^ Jump up to : IMDB Ja'net Dubois ^ Jump up to : McCann, Bob. `` Du Bois, Ja'Net ''. Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland & Company. pp. 103 -- 04. ISBN 0786458046. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Jeannette Dubois, better known as Ja'Net Du Bois ( Ja - NayDoo - Bwah )... ^ Jump up to : `` Ja'Net Du Bois ''. TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Windsor, Carl D. ( 2006 ). On This Day : Daily Inspiration for the History Buff, the Trivia Lover, and the Innately Curious. Howard Books. ISBN 978 - 1582296548. Jump up ^ Berry, S. Torriano ; Berry, Venise T. ( 2015 ). `` DUBOIS, JA'NET ( 1945 -- ) ''. Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema ( 2 ed. ). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 142. This native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... ^ Jump up to : `` Ja'net DuBois Biography ( 1945 ? - ) ''. FilmReference.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Born August 5, 1945 ( some sources cite 1938 ), in Philadelphia, PA. ^ Jump up to : LoBrutto, Vincent ( 2018 ). `` Good Times ''. TV in the USA : A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. Greenwood. p. 39. ISBN 978 - 1440829727... Ja'net DuBois ( 1945 -- )... Jump up ^ `` Ja'Net DuBois ''. TV One. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Ja'Net DuBois ' Son Dies of Cancer, in New York ''. Jet. Vol. 73 no. 5. October 26, 1987. p. 61. ISSN 0021 - 5996. Raj Kristo Gupta, the son of popular TV and movie actress Ja'Net DuBois, died recently in New York following a three - year battle with cancer. He was 36. ^ Jump up to : `` TV Actress Ja'Net DuBois To Appear On ' Arsenio ' ''. Vol. 82 no. 6. Jet. June 1, 1992. p. 60. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Ja'net DuBois - TV.com Jump up ^ `` Celebrity Beat -- New York to Hollywood ''. Jet. Vol. 64 no. 10. May 16, 1983. p. 53. Jump up ^ `` Actor Clifton Davis Stars in Maya Angelou 's New Musical ''. Vol. 82 no. 20. Jet. September 7, 1992. p. 60. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Ja'net DuBois, Chris Rock win CableAce Awards ''. Jet. Vol. 87 no. 13. February 6, 1995. Jump up ^ `` Newsmakers ''. Jet. Vol. 98 no. 8. July 31, 2000. p. 32. Jump up ^ Christian, Margena A. ( January 28, 2008 ). `` Where Is... The Cast of ' Good Times ' ? ''. Jet. 113 ( 3 ). p. 31. Jump up ^ `` Celebrities ''. Jet. Vol. 103 no. 13. March 24, 2003. p. 24. Jump up ^ Remi Dubois ( March 8, 2015 ). Have you seen Ja'Net DuBois ' daughter ? ( YouTube ). ILoveOSMusic. Jump up ^ `` Ja'Net DuBois And Judith Jamison Win Primetime Emmy Awards ''. Jet. Vol. 96 no. 16. September 20, 1999. p. 34. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Christian, Margena A. ( January 28, 2008 ). `` The Cast of ' Good Times ' ? ''. Jet. Vol. 113 no. 3. p. 31. Retrieved April 19, 2015. External links Ja'net DuBois on IMDb Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice - Over Performance Nancy Cartwright / Dan Castellaneta / Julie Kavner / Jackie Mason / Yeardley Smith / Marcia Wallace ( 1992 ) Dan Castellaneta ( 1993 ) Christopher Plummer ( 1994 ) Jonathan Katz ( 1995 ) No Award ( 1996 ) Jeremy Irons / Rik Mayall ( 1997 ) Hank Azaria ( 1998 ) Ja'Net DuBois ( 1999 ) Seth MacFarlane / Julie Harris ( 2000 ) Hank Azaria / Ja'Net DuBois ( 2001 ) Peter Macon / Pamela Adlon ( 2002 ) Hank Azaria ( 2003 ) Dan Castellaneta ( 2004 ) Keith David ( 2005 ) Kelsey Grammer ( 2006 ) No Award ( 2007 ) Keith David ( 2008 ) Dan Castellaneta ( 2009 ) Anne Hathaway ( 2010 ) Maurice LaMarche ( 2011 ) Maurice LaMarche ( 2012 ) Lily Tomlin ( 2013 ) WorldCat Identities LCCN : nr00000537 MusicBrainz : b1d9ffd8 - 2c99 - 42ec - a16e - 533c3560a6ed VIAF : 76151219 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ja%27Net_DuBois&oldid=857270679 '' Categories : 1938 births 1945 births Living people Primetime Emmy Award winners African - American actresses Actresses from New York City Actresses from Pennsylvania American female singers Singers from New York City Singers from Pennsylvania People from Brooklyn People from Amityville, New York 20th - century American actresses 21st - century American actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Français Italiano Nederlands Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 30 August 2018, at 17 : 11 ( UTC ). 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Question: who sang the song moving on up on the jeffersons
Answer: Jeannette Dubois[2] (born August 5, 1938[3][4] or 1945[5][6][7]) (sources differ), known professionally as Ja'Net DuBois,[8][9] Ja'net DuBois,[6][7] and Ja'Net Du Bois