Comedian Richard Pryor died on Saturday, December 10, 2005 as the result of a cardiac arrest. Pryor had been in ill-health for years, having been diagnosed with the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis in 1986.
Born on December 1, 1940 in Peoria, Illinois, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III spent his youth in a brothel run by his grandmother. Pryor turned to performing to escape his traumatic childhood and at the age of 12 was cast in a local production of "Rumplestiltskin"*.
Pryor dropped out of school at 14 and became a father at 17. After a stint in the Army, Pryor turned from singing to stand-up routines, eventually winding up in New York where he was admired by filmmaker Woody Allen who mentored the young comedian.
After disappointing stints on stage in Las Vegas, Pryor moved to California and began working in films. Even while performing in 50+ movies, Pryor continued to hone his stand-up routine, cut albums, formed a production company, starred in his own TV series, and wrote screenplays and TV scripts.
Pryor never shied away from tackling issues other comedians felt were too controversial to touch. He openly confronted racial differences and helped change the face of comedy.
Richard Pryor's former PR man Steve Jaffe said, "That Richard Pryor has died is a source of sadness for all of us who knew and loved him but he was a major influence on the vast world of comedy. He attacked the heart of humor the way his heart ultimately attacked him, may he rest in peace.
He will never be forgotten for his commitment to the revolution of humor. He was totally honest about his flaws. That alone makes him in a unique."
* Source: Richard Pryor's Official Website
Born on December 1, 1940 in Peoria, Illinois, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III spent his youth in a brothel run by his grandmother. Pryor turned to performing to escape his traumatic childhood and at the age of 12 was cast in a local production of "Rumplestiltskin"*.
Pryor dropped out of school at 14 and became a father at 17. After a stint in the Army, Pryor turned from singing to stand-up routines, eventually winding up in New York where he was admired by filmmaker Woody Allen who mentored the young comedian.
After disappointing stints on stage in Las Vegas, Pryor moved to California and began working in films. Even while performing in 50+ movies, Pryor continued to hone his stand-up routine, cut albums, formed a production company, starred in his own TV series, and wrote screenplays and TV scripts.
Pryor never shied away from tackling issues other comedians felt were too controversial to touch. He openly confronted racial differences and helped change the face of comedy.
Richard Pryor's former PR man Steve Jaffe said, "That Richard Pryor has died is a source of sadness for all of us who knew and loved him but he was a major influence on the vast world of comedy. He attacked the heart of humor the way his heart ultimately attacked him, may he rest in peace.
He will never be forgotten for his commitment to the revolution of humor. He was totally honest about his flaws. That alone makes him in a unique."
* Source: Richard Pryor's Official Website