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December 10, 2005
Goodbye to a Legend
"I had some great things and I had some bad things. The best and the worst...In other words, I had a life." - Richard Pryor.
Pathbreaking Comedian Richard Pryor whose profanely personal insights into race relations and modern life made him one of Hollywood's biggest black stars, died of a heart attack Saturday. He was 65. Pryor lived dangerously close to the edge both on stage and off and 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 universal and frequently personal routines. But, even in poor health, his comedy was vital. At a 1992 performance, he asked the room, "Is there a doctor in the audience?" All he got was nervous laughter. "No, I'm serious. I want to know if there's a doctor here." hand finally went up. "Doctor," Pryor said, "I need to know one thing. What the (blank) is MS?"
Pryor was married six times. His children include sons Richard and Steven, and daughters Elizabeth, Rain and Renee.
Daughter Rain became an actress. In an interview in 2005, she told the Philadelphia Inquirer that her father always "put his life right out there for you to look at. I took that approach because I saw how well audiences respond to it. I try to make you laugh at life." Thanks for always choosing to laugh, to Richard, his entire family and all his fans...
Posted by chooseto at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)