Jump to content

Pioneering Comedian Richard Pryor Dies


Soxy

Recommended Posts

Link

 

Pathbreaking Comedian Richard Pryor Dies

 

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer 5 minutes ago

 

LOS ANGELES -

Richard Pryor, the caustic yet perceptive actor-comedian who lived dangerously close to the edge both on stage and off, has died, his ex-wife said Saturday. He was 65.

 

Pryor died of a heart attack at his home in the San Fernando Valley sometime late Friday or early Saturday, Flyn Pryor said. He had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.

 

The comedian was regarded early in his career as one of the most foul-mouthed comics in the business, but he gained a wide following for his expletive-filled but universal and frequently personal insights into modern life and race relations.

 

His audacious style influenced an array of stand-up artists, including

Eddie Murphy,

Arsenio Hall and

Damon Wayans, as well as

Robin Williams, David Letterman and others.

 

A series of hit comedies in the '70s and '80s, as well as filmed versions of his concert performances, helped make him Pryor one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood. He was one of the first black performers to have enough leverage to cut his own Hollywood deals. In 1983, he signed a $40 million, five-year contract with Columbia Pictures.

 

His films included "Stir Crazy," "Silver Streak," "Which Way Is Up?" and "Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link

 

Pathbreaking Comedian Richard Pryor Dies

 

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer 5 minutes ago

 

LOS ANGELES -

Richard Pryor, the caustic yet perceptive actor-comedian who lived dangerously close to the edge both on stage and off, has died, his ex-wife said Saturday. He was 65.

 

Pryor died of a heart attack at his home in the San Fernando Valley sometime late Friday or early Saturday, Flyn Pryor said. He had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.

 

The comedian was regarded early in his career as one of the most foul-mouthed comics in the business, but he gained a wide following for his expletive-filled but universal and frequently personal insights into modern life and race relations.

 

His audacious style influenced an array of stand-up artists, including

Eddie Murphy,

Arsenio Hall and

Damon Wayans, as well as

Robin Williams, David Letterman and others.

 

A series of hit comedies in the '70s and '80s, as well as filmed versions of his concert performances, helped make him Pryor one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood. He was one of the first black performers to have enough leverage to cut his own Hollywood deals. In 1983, he signed a $40 million, five-year contract with Columbia Pictures.

 

His films included "Stir Crazy," "Silver Streak," "Which Way Is Up?" and "Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip."

 

 

1. If any of you have not seen the Richard Pryor Live DVDs, you need to do so, they are awesome.

 

2. I don't know why Arsenio was mentioned in the article; the next funny thing he says will be the first funny thing he's said.

 

RIP Richard Prior...G-d Bless!

 

:notworthy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Dec 11, 2005 -> 11:27 AM)
I wasn't gonna say it but you did.  When I read about that incident I laughed my ass off.

 

I don't understand why this is funny: a man has a nervous breakdown and tries to burn himself to death

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 11, 2005 -> 12:43 PM)
The joke was

 

 

what am I?

Richard Pryor jogging  :ph34r:

I'm going to hell, but at least I'll finally get to meet some of y'all

 

Remember when he told that one on himself in Sunset Strip? Everyone in the theater I was in gasped.

 

I was using that recycled joke all day yesterday behind the bar. I followed it up with: "I wonder if he'll be cremated?"

 

RP would have appreiciated the sentiment, I think.

 

It took me about 15 years to realize that he had a screenwriting credit for Blazing Saddles. That's how Mel Brooks had the guts to write all those jokes -- he let RP do it.

Edited by Mplssoxfan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now we got country and western on the bus

R and B, we got disco in eight tracks and cassettes in stereo

We've got rural scenes & magazines

We've got truckers on the CB

We've got Richard Pryor on the video

We got time to think of the ones we love

While the miles roll away

But the only time that seems too short

Is the time that we get to play

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was watching TV late Saturday night and I saw the news. They interviewed Jimmy Walker. Jimmy and RP were friends for years. Jimmy made sure people knew that Pryor was a jerk to people and could be a pretty mean guy. I think that spoke more about their friendship, and Pryor, that almost any "tribute" you will see. You just know that Pryor would want people to talk truthfully about him and to not sugarcoat who and what he was.

 

I loved Pryor, even as a kid. Is there anybody who grew up seeing that man before he took ill that doesn't like Pryor. Everything about him was great, aside from the drugs. RIP Rich.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've has the opportunity to hang around professional and serious amateur comedians and as a group they are the most pathetic people to hang with. Mean, paranoid, back stabbing, gossiping, unfunny unless on stage are just a few of the attributes that come to mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...