Farewell to Richard : 1940 - 2005

Funny man Richard Pryor died of a heart attack on Saturday past. He died shortly before 8 a.m. after being taken from his home to a nearby hospital. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system, he found a way to bring it to the forefront in his comedic routines.

While not always comfortable with his profanity, Richard Pryor holds a special place in my heart for his roles in “Stir Crazy” and “See No Evil, Hear No Evil”. My opinion, notwithstanding, his place in history as a pioneer in combining the art of comedy and politics is guaranteed. He was edgy, at times scandalous, honest and unashamed to get personal onstage about his battles with drug and alcohol addiction.

He is credited with being the role model for Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Chris Rock and David Letterman. He was also the first black performer to have enough of a following in order to make his own deals in Hollywood, which earned him a spot as one of the highest paid stars in the 70’s and 80’s.

Richard Pryor, one of a kind and a hard act to follow. My sympathy goes out to his family.