Brandon Edwin Cruz (born May 28, 1962) is an American actor and singer best known for his role as Eddie Corbett, son of widower Tom Corbett (played by

Bill Bixby Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III (January 22, 1934 – November 21, 1993) professionally known as Bill Bixby, was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist. Bixby's career spanned more than three decades, includi ...

) on the television series ''

The Courtship of Eddie's Father ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' is an American sitcom based on the 1963 film of the same name, which was based on a novel by Mark Toby (edited by Dorothy Wilson). The series is about a widower, Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby), who is a ...

''. Cruz is also a punk rock musician, having sung for bands such as Dr. Know,

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing ...

, and Flipper.

Early life and career

Cruz was born in Bakersfield, California and moved to Silver Strand Beach in Ventura County, California with his family at the age of two months. At age five, he auditioned for and won his breakthrough role as Eddie Corbett in the television series ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', which aired from 1969 to 1972. Bixby and Cruz spent considerable time together, especially when the show was on hiatus, prompting Cruz to tell ''American Profile'' magazine "Bill Bixby was like my second father."''American Profile'' magazine. Celebrity Q&A, December 27, 2011. Publishing Group of America. Courtship of Eddies Father 1969

Cruz continued as a child actor for several years following the cancellation of ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' with a number of guest appearances in television shows like ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', and '' The Incredible Hulk''—which reunited him on-screen with Bixby. Cruz also played the role of Joey Turner in the 1976 movie '' The Bad News Bears''. Cruz turned his attention to punk rock in the late 1970s, and in 1981, was performing with the Hardcore punk band Dr. Know. The group released several records, and after a name change to KNOW, toured Europe in 2017. Cruz also was the lead vocalist with

from 2001 until 2003. Cruz was interviewed in the documentary '' American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock, 1980–1986''. Reflecting on life after being a child star, which has brought tragedy to so many others, Cruz told ''American Profile'' "Surfing and punk rock probably saved my life." In 1991, Cruz was honored by the

Young Artist Foundation The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for his role as Eddie on ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father''. He has also worked behind-the-scenes in television as an assistant editor on the animated series ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...

''.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Brandon 1962 births American male child actors American male singers American punk rock singers Dead Kennedys members Living people Male actors from Bakersfield, California Musicians from Oxnard, California 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Singers from California