Richard Pryor
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| Richard Pryor | |
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 Richard Pryor in 1986. Photo by Alan Light.
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| Born | December 1, 1940 Peoria, Illinois, USA |
| Died | December 10, 2005 Los Angeles, California, USA [1][2] |
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an African American comedian, actor, and writer.
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[edit] Early life and career
Born on December 1, 1940 in Peoria, Illinois, Pryor grew up in his grandmother's brothel, where his mother Gertude practiced prostitution. His father LeRoy Pryor (a.k.a. Buck Carter) was a former bartender, boxer. After his mother deserted him when he was 10, he was raised primarily by his grandmother, Marie Carter.
He was expelled from school at age 14, and began working various odd jobs. His first professional performance was playing drums at a night club. From 1958 to 1960, Pryor served in the U.S. Army but spent virtually that entire stint in an army prison.
In 1963, Pryor moved to New York City and began performing regularly in clubs alongside performers such as Bob Dylan and Woody Allen. Inspired by Bill Cosby, Pryor began as a middlebrow comic far less controversial than what was to come. Soon, he began appearing regularly on television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. His popularity led him to become a rather successful comic in Las Vegas. The first five tracks on the 2005 compilation CD Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966-1974), recorded in 1966 and 1967, capture Pryor in this era.
His mother died in 1967; his father the following year.
His first child (he thought) was a girl named Renee. But years later, he found out that this was not his child. In 1960, he married Patricia Price and they had one child together, Richard Jr.(his first child and first son) They divorced in 1961. In 1967, his second child and first daughter, Elizabeth Ann, was born to his girlfriend Maxine Anderson. Later that year, he married Shelley Bonus. In 1969, his third child and second daughter Rain Pryor was born. They divorced later that year.
[edit] Mainstream success
In 1969, Pryor moved to Berkeley, California, where he immersed himself in the counterculture and rubbed elbows with the likes of Huey P. Newton and Ishmael Reed. He signed with the comedy-centric independent record label Laff Records in 1970 and recorded his second album, Craps (After Hours). In 1972, the relatively unknown comedian appeared in his first film, a documentary entitled Wattstax, where he riffed on the tragic-comic absurdities of race relations in Watts and the nation. Not long afterward, Pryor sought a deal with a larger label, and after a protracted period of time, signed with Stax Records. Negotiations led to Pryor being released from his Laff contract in exchange for the small label being allowed to release previously unissued material, recorded between 1968 and 1973, at their leisure.
In 1977, he married actress Deborah McGuire and they divorced in 1978. He soon began dating Jennifer Lee and they married in 1981. They divorced the following year.
In 1983, his status as a major worldwide star was confirmed when he signed a five-year contract with Columbia Pictures for $40,000,000.[3]
Early in his career he wrote for such television shows as Sanford and Son, The Flip Wilson Show and a Lily Tomlin special, for which he shared an Emmy Award. Pryor appeared in several popular films including Lady Sings the Blues, The Mack, Uptown Saturday Night, Silver Streak, Which Way Is Up?, Car Wash, The Toy, Superman III (which earned Pryor $4,000,000), Brewster's Millions, Stir Crazy, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Moving, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Of particular note is The Toy, known equally as being one of Jackie Gleason's last projects. Though he made four films with Gene Wilder, the two comic actors were never as close as many thought according to the latter's autobiography.
Pryor also co-wrote Blazing Saddles directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder. Pryor was to play the lead role of Bart, but the film's production studio would not insure him, and Mel Brooks chose Cleavon Little instead. Before his infamous 1980 free-basing accident, Pryor was about to start filming Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I, but was replaced at the last minute by Gregory Hines. Pryor was also originally considered for the role of Billy Ray Valentine on Trading Places (1983), before Eddie Murphy ultimately won the part.
Richard Pryor briefly hosted a children's show on CBS called Pryor's Place. Like Sesame Street, Pryor's Place featured a cast of puppets, hanging out and having fun in a surprisingly friendly inner city environment along with several children and characters portrayed by Pryor himself. However, Pryor's Place frequently dealt with more sobering issues than the series it so closely resembled. This could be why the show was cancelled shortly after its debut, despite the best efforts of critically acclaimed puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft, and a catchy theme song by Ray Parker Jr. of Ghostbusters fame.
Pryor co-hosted the Academy Awards twice, and was also nominated for an Emmy for a guest role on the television series, Chicago Hope.
He didn't stay away from live stand-up too long, though - in 1983 he filmed and released a new concert film and accompanying album, Here And Now, which he directed himself. He then wrote and directed a fictionalized account of his life, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
In 1984, another son, Steven, was born to his girlfriend Flynn Belaine. (his fourth child and second son) Richard married Flynn in October 1986. They divorced in July 1987. Before their divorce was final, Flynn conceived Kelsey Pryor. Meanwhile, another of Richard's girlfriend, Geraldine Mason gave birth to Franklin Mason in April 1987 (his fifth child and third son). Six months later (October 1987), Flynn gave birth to Kelsey Pryor (Richard's sixth child and third daughter).
In 1991, Pryor announced that he had been suffering from multiple sclerosis since 1986. In 1992, he gave some final live performances, excerpts of which appear on the ...And It's Deep Too! box set. He continued to make occasional film appearances, pairing with Gene Wilder one last time in the unsuccessful 1991 comedy, Another You (in which his physical deterioration was noted by many critics). His final film appearance was a small role in the David Lynch film Lost Highway in 1997; by then, Pryor was wheelchair bound.
[edit] Later life
In 1998, Pryor won the inaugural Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. According to Former Kennedy Center President Lawrence J. Wilker,
| Richard Pryor was selected as the first recipient of the new Mark Twain Prize because as a stand-up comic, writer, and actor, he struck a chord, and a nerve, with America, forcing it to look at large social questions of race and the more tragicomic aspects of the human condition. Though uncompromising in his wit, Pryor, like Twain, projects a generosity of spirit that unites us. They were both trenchant social critics who spoke the truth, however outrageous. |
In 2000, Rhino Records remastered all of Pryor's Reprise and Warner Bros. albums for inclusion in the box set ...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968-1992).
In 2001, he remarried Jennifer Lee who also had become his manager.
In 2002, Pryor and his wife/manager Jennifer Lee Pryor, won the legal rights to all of the Laff material - almost 40 hours of reel-to-reel analog tape. After going through the tapes and getting Richard's blessing, Jennifer Lee Pryor gave Rhino Records access to the Laff tapes in 2004. These tapes, including the entire Craps album, form the basis of the double-CD release Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966-1974).
In 2004, Pryor was voted #1 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time, just ahead of George Carlin at #2. In a 2005 British poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, Pryor was voted the 10th greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
In his later years, Richard Pryor became a wheelchair user due to multiple sclerosis. In late 2004 his sister claimed that Pryor lost his voice.
Pryor was said to be an "animal activist" as Jennifer supports that Richard believed this. However, the rest of his family disagree. His children feel that people should definitely not abuse animals. Using them for research to find cures for MS (and other diseases), clothing and food consumption (if one chooses to eat meat) is okay. Jennifer is an avid supporters of animal rights and the anti-vivisection movement. Pryor (Jennifer speaking for Richard) once offered a $1,000 reward for the arrest of the person who drowned dogs in Nahant, Massachusetts. Links to groups he supported can be found on his official website.
[edit] Death
Pryor died of cardiac arrest at the age of 65 in Encino, California. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 7:58 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 10, 2005. He was brought to the hospital after his wife's attempts to resuscitate him failed. His wife was quoted as saying
“at the end, there was a smile on his face.”
[edit] Remembrance and legacy
On December 19, 2005, BET aired a Pryor special. It included commentary from fellow comedians, as well as insight into Pryor's upbringing. A feature film about Pryor is currently in development. It was written by Pryor and his wife, with Mike Epps hand-picked by Pryor to portray him.[4]
An image of Pryor was shown during both the "In Memoriam" montage at the 2006 'Oscars', and the same of the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
Singer Joe Henry's album Scar features a song called "Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation", which was inspired by Pryor.
