<Tr> <Th> Spouse (s) </Th> <Td> Erv Hurd (m . 1994) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Children </Th> <Td> Kim Fields (b . 1969) Alexis Fields (b . 1982) </Td> </Tr> <P> Laverne "Chip" Fields, who is sometimes credited as Chip Hurd or Chip Fields--Hurd, (born August 5, 1951) is an American singer, actress, television director, producer, consultant, and dialogue coach, who has appeared in popular films, television shows, and Broadway theatre . She is best known for portraying Lynetta Gordon, the abusive birth mother of Penny Gordon Woods (played by Janet Jackson) in a three--part episode (1977) of the 1970s sitcom Good Times . </P> <P> Fields began her acting career as an extra in the 1974 film Claudine . She has had numerous supporting roles and guest appearances on television . She played an unwed mother opposite Patty Weaver in the NBC television soap opera, Days of Our Lives . Also during the' 70s, she played the abusive birth - mother of Millicent "Penny" Gordon Woods (Janet Jackson) on the sitcom Good Times . She played Rita Conway in the short - lived The Amazing Spider - Man TV Series from 1978 - 1979 . Rita Conway was J. Jonah Jameson's secretary, the same function as the African - American Glory Grant from the 1970s comics . She also appeared in What's Happening!!, Hill Street Blues, T.J. Hooker, Roc, Kirk (a short - lived sitcom starring Kirk Cameron), The Wayans Bros., and The Parkers . She has been a consultant for The Parkers, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Living Single, and was a dialogue coach for the film, Menace II Society . She played the role of "Laverne", mother to the character "Regine" on Living Single . She has also directed episodes of the popular UPN sitcoms, One on One, All of Us, Girlfriends, The Parkers, as well as episodes of Romeo!, Just Jordan, Hannah Montana, Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns . </P>

Who played penny's real mother on good times