What ever happend to the Actor Who played Freddie "boom boom" Washington?

I saw him in a hair care commercial some time ago. He's with a group of people singing some song as a lady with beautiful hair walks by.

The last tv show I noticed him on was Alien Nation. it is on every saturday morning on the sci fi channel.

I think his character was named Dobbs??
he was a detective at the precinct with George and Matt.

He played Joe Jackson in the 1992 tv-movie
"Jacksons - The American Dream" I'm not sure if i got the title right, But it was about the Jackson Five and he played their father.
He was very, very good in that.

He also made an appearance on the 90's tv show Mr. Rhodes, along with Robert Hegyes and Ron Palillo. One of the kids was running away and they were in the bus station. Horshack ran the counter and Epstein was sitting on a bench. The kid says to Lawrence.
Are you?....and he says...They are...I'm not.
meaning, no i'm not a sweathog. I love that one episode.