CNN: Richard Pryor has died.

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[xchrom]

1. so sad

many, many years ago i saw him perform in peoria his{and mine} home town.

a brilliant, lovely man.

[dannofoot]

76. Long time since Peoria...

Damn, Xchrom, you a P-town person?

Richard was last here a few years ago, but could only do about 10 minutes on stage. Very sad.

Before that, he was last here filming parts of "Jo-Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling."

Sadly, a few years ago, Peoria's current idiot mayor, then a council member, tried to block naming a two-block section of street in his old neighborhood after him. Wiser minds prevailed, thank goodness.

[xchrom]

82. yeah, peoria

i'm glad richard got his street.

that is such good news.

[deadparrot]

2. Gene McCarthy and Richard Pryor in a span of ten minutes.

Damn. :(

[wiley]

32. From CNN Article

Will this article be eerily prescient of what the Dems do in 2008?

"There were already forces at work that might have torn the party apart anyway -- the growing women's movement, the growing demands for greater racial equality, an inability to incorporate all the demands of a new generation.

"But in 1968, the party became a kind of unrelated bloc of factions ... each refusing accommodation with another, each wanting control at the expense of all the others."

Although he supported the Korean War, McCarthy said he opposed the Vietnam War because "as it went on, you could tell the people running it didn't know what was going on."

"He blamed the media for deciding who is and is not a serious candidate and suggested he should have kept his 1992 candidacy a secret, since announcing it publicly did no good."

[sabra]

3. CNN.com >> Comedian Richard Pryor has died. He was 65.

http://www.cnn.com

> BREAKING NEWS Comedian Richard Pryor has died. He was 65.

[Guava Jelly]

25. MY lil sister has ms

She is a staunch repuke..but shes still my baby sis and i love her.
Be nice if we were further along on stem cell research now wouldnt it.
Poor richard pryor..Man he was such a tsunami of humor and talent.
he really truly will be missed

[ismnotwasm]

45. My hubby has MS as well

Thank God he's a stanch lefty. But give your sis a huge for us anyway. We understand.
Richard Pryor was a HUGE influence on me as a teenager. I used to memorize entire monologues from his records. He took on topics like racism and relationships, drug use, and the state of being black in America and went full on with it. I'l never forget the line "You can't get hooked on no coke. I been snorting coke for 15 years and I ain't hooked" Cracked me up. I remember so many one liners....
God he was funny. And I'll be missing him. RIP Rich.
And I agree about the stem cell research. Goddam bush has a lot to answer for, for current and future generations.

[mallard]

66. Re: "God he was funny"

Very nice dedication post, ismnotwasm. He was a great influence on us to see the world more clearly - to be aware and ultimately cautious, too.
Loved you Richard Pryor.

[Jamastiene]

71. My aunt has ms too.

It really does take away a person's ability to move around and even do simple things when they have the progressive form of the disease. My aunt and I spent 30 minutes yesterday trying to figure out a way to get her off the bed and into her scooter. She was sitting down and could not stand up. Normally, she can stand up long enough to get into the scooter, but yesterday was a bad day for her. She was a big Richard Pryor fan too. I had to break the news to her because it wasn't on television today.

[pookieblue]

72. another MS'r here.

but not a repuke.

I do wish they were further along on Stem Cell Research.

Seeing Richard the last few years, the way the MS affected his body, really saddened me. Reminded me of the way my grandmother (who had MS as well) was in her later years.

At least he is at peace now. And is no longer suffering.

[Midnight Rambler]

4. RIP to the funniest motherfucker of all time

Rarely have I laughed so hard as when I saw him.

[BlueManDude]

55. Oh yeah Midnight. RIP RP. n/t

[fooj]

5. Oh wow...

:cry:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

6. Damn, damn, damn. Huge loss.

:cry: MKJ

[buff2]

7. Oh no......

See No Evil,Hear No Evil....One of the BEST movies I've ever seen. What a tragic loss. RIP Richard. You are well loved and will be missed. :cry:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. My teenage daughter and I just watched this a few weeks ago.

When they're "confronting" each other on the street at the beginning of the movie...priceless! MKJ

[Thom Little]

8. link

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051210/ap_on_en_mo/obit_pryor;_ylt=AjAa0WntKPtES8ISUegPmYys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[hang a left]

10. Heart attack....

I hope he wasn't on the pipe again. So sad.

[Reciprocity]

11. So sad.

I just got through watching him on SNL 101 most unforgettable moments on E network. The one that has the free word association game. Chevy says something like tar baby and Richard says honky then Chevy says the N word and Richard says dead honky.

[truebrit71]

17. That is one of the funniest sketches of all time.

Of course anytime he appeared he forced all those around him to raise their game....

[susanna]

75. Saw that, too -

can you imagine anyone trying that now? What an amazing TV moment. Just amazing. RIP, Richard.

[fortyfeetunder]

93. CBS Radio news played that this morning

I was listening to the CBS Radio news this morning and they played that free association clip...I was driving and laughed my a$$ off, just like did when I first saw it. It was classic.

[Karla Marx]

12. Oh, how I loved that man...

damn. RIP Richard.

[stop the bleeding]

13. RIP -

O8)

[wellst0nev0ter]

14. NOOOOO!!!

First that disease took him away, now this? crap!

[rainbow4321]

15. Actor-comedian Richard Pryor dies at 65

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/121005dnnatpryor.16d83405.html

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.

[truebrit71]

16. Such a shame.

He was one of the funniest comedians I have ever seen. Very insightful, caustically witty, and the benchmanrk by which all comedians of his genre are measured.

God speed.

[AlamoDemoc]

18. I will miss him dearly

R.I.P Mr. Pryor...your memory lives on

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

19. OH no!

Aw Jesus that is horrible.

[Miss Chybil]

20. What a shock right out of the blue! RIP, Richard Pryor. You

made me laugh. I'm sorry you had to go so soon.

[pookieblue]

23. RIP - Richard Pryor

:(

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

21. Fuck. You were a hero, motherfucker. RIP.

[slay]

22. Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks and Mitch Hedberg

Three of the best comedians I've ever heard. They all live on in our hearts and minds. Thanks for all your humorous insight Richard!!! :hug:

[SlavesandBulldozers]

84. amen

RIP Richard. why must all the greats go so soon?

[SlavesandBulldozers]

85. dupe

dupe

[phusion]

91. shit, you're right...all passed within the past few years. :( n/t

[Up2Late]

24. Just reported on NPR too, sad news but I'm glad his suffering has ended.

The Man had been sick with MS for years. A few months ago, Comedy Central did a show called Richard Pryor's Not Dead Yet.

It's not updated yet, but here's a link to his biography:

<http://www.comedycentral.com/comedians/browse/p/richard_pryor.jhtml?display=bio>

RIP Richard.

[maseman]

27. Link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10412702/

His humor really opened a lot of comedy doors. I loved him with one of Jackie Gleason's final films, The Toy. Great movie.

[Hyernel]

26. Tickets for tonight's show at the Pearly Gates Comedy Club are sold out.

Jesus will be laughing his motherfuckin' black ass off!

[KamaAina]

59. You've obviously never been to the Gates

when they book a headline act like Pryor, they just float a few extra clouds over to handle the overflow. O8)

[Mad_Dem_X]

70. Heaven is rocking w/laughter tonight

Bless you, Richard. We'll miss you. :cry:

[ariesgem]

28. Damn

RIP Richard Pryor. You'll be sorely missed.

[Doctor_J]

29. Amazing that he lived to 65

I was beginning to think he was indestructible.

[hollowdweller]

30. "And I was praying to God I didn't have to kiss nothin'!"

One of his best was Mudbone taking his buddy to see Ms. Rudolph.

[Elwood P Dowd]

58. "His feets was healthy, but they was real TINY"

"The n..... had little tiny feets".....or something like that. I have a couple of his old albums from the 70s. Unbelievable stuff.

Also, what about yang money, bowl cuts, trips to Peoria on half a tank of gas, that water be cold & it's deep too, meeting the devil (hello, goodbye), white folks making love, and on and on.

RIP Richard. You made millions of us laugh our ass off.

[cal04]

31. Rest In Peace. You will be missed

[Vidar]

33. The laughter has died--leaveing only tearst. RIP

[Catherine Vincent]

34. RIP brother!

You will be missed as well as your comedic talentry. :(

[Barrett808]

35. Richard Pryor dead

more soon

[medeak]

36. Oh no.... my Dad worked with him

favorite memory is he walked on stage and seeing all white Vegas audience promptly walked off saying "I don't need this shit"

My dad (conductor) had to improvise.... but still loved the man

[Barrett808]

37. He made me laugh alot. RIP. n/t

[Ekirh]

38. Damn

R.I.P Man . . R.I.P

[Barrett808]

44. That image is...great... n/t

[HereSince1628]

39. Never like to see people younger than me die.

It is like watching other's saw off the limb you are sitting on.

I appreciate he was hard on his body.

[HereSince1628]

41. Well, maybe he was older than me...I don't feel better

[BrklynLiberal]

40. sad news....

[Gregorian]

42. What?

I can hardly believe it. I'm stunned.
What a rotten day. Fuck!

[msanthrope]

43. RIP Richard. We will miss you.

"Accordingly, the most self-aware moment in a boxful of self-aware routines arrives on the rarities CD's "My Funeral." "I want to be cremated," Pryor declares. "Sprinkle my ashes in about two pounds of cocaine. Snort me up!""


http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0101,hannaham,21146,22.html

[are_we_united_yet]

47. Damn.

that is depressing.

:(

[Rich Hunt]

46. this is terrible

We all loved him.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

49. RIP, Mr. Pryor. Thank you for all the laughter over the years.

[Submariner]

48. Back To Africa Movement (B-T-A-M)

was a skit he did that had me in tears laughing. Next to the dictionary definition of the "Funniest MF'ing Comedian Ever" should be Pryor's photo.

[WestHoustonDem]

50. RIP Richard Pryor, we miss you already

[Nothing Without Hope]

51. ***FINE OBIT at FIREDOGLAKE***

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_firedoglake_archive.html#113425421275025501

(snip - several paragraphs outlining his professional history)

Richard Pryor always knew better than to become too respectable, and maybe that was simply due to a massive self-destructive streak, I don't know. But one of the mistakes he never made was to become what he despised.

Sixty five years was just way too short.

[Uben]

52. One of the best!

I was fortunate enough to see Pryor in concert back in the early eighties in Dallas. The show was absolutely one of the greatest I have seen. Pryor could make you laugh without uttering a word. His facial expressions said it all! What a memory! I sat right behind the Dallas Cowboys through the whole show. Harvey Martin sat right in front of me, and Tony Dorsett was next to him. They were the stars of the day. I used to memorize Pryors sketches word for word, and bought all of his tapes. The VooDoo LAdy was one of his best!

[Stinky The Clown]

53. The air is rarified at the top

And Rich, along with few others, will always know what it smelled like.

There are funny people. There are comdians. There are great comedians.

And there was Richard. And damned few others.

Where Rich lived, the air was pure and rare. Few smelled it. And now there is one less.

All of us want to be where that rare air is. We'll never get there. We'll never know it.

Rich.

He knew.

We loved you, Rich. Rest well.

And thank you.

For laughter.

But even more ....... for insight. Your comedy was real.

[WinkyDink]

54. This man was a genius.

Brilliant, simply brilliant.
RIP, Richard.

[Old and In the Way]

56. Sad....he was one of my favorites.....

RIP,Richard.

[Olney Blue]

57. RIP, Richard.

[gristy]

60. ohhhhh....

:(

That guy could make me smile!! :)

"When you are (running down the street) on fire, people get out of your way!" - R. Pryor

[bonito]

61. Responsible for many smiles and laughter ,R. I. P. lil brother.

;(

[elehhhhna]

62. moneys fuckin wichyo' ears

God I'll miss him.

[baldguy]

63. fuck

[fortyfeetunder]

64. Practically grew up on his comedy

Mom took my brother and I to see Richard Pryor once at the Kennedy Center in DC. I couldn't have been older than 15.

Now all she had seen of him was on TV..but my brother and I knew better. Once he started on his routine, mom was surprised at the language, but she didn't make us cover our ears, just admonished us she didn't want us to repeat his show outside the auditorium.

But I will remember Richard as an incredibly funny, talented comedian and actor and undoubtably very human. Loved him in the movies. I'll never forget him. Time to find some CD's so I can laugh in my car!

RIP Richard, keep them laughing 'til I'm there.

[peekaloo]

65. I weep for ya Mudbone.

:cry:

In the 70's he was bigger than any rock musician, at least to me.

[Lefty48197]

67. It's a sad day. - RIP Richard, RIP.

We'll miss you...

[psychopomp]

68. RIP Mr. Pryor

Two people influenced standup comedy more than any others of the twentieth century...Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor.

[mazzarro]

69. R.I.P. Mrr. Pryor - Godspeed --- eom

[OhioChick]

73. RIP........

"Joe Motherfucking Braxton."

He'll be sorely missed.......

[OneBlueSky]

74. the gold standard for standup . . . RIP, Richard . . . n/t

.

[lovuian]

77. I have a friend with MS and its such a terrible disease and

strikes the most wonderful people!!!

May he find peace!!!

[Tight_rope]

78. May he rest in peace...The best comedian of all times!

[Bake]

79. Funniest. Motherfucker. EVER.

"Back in them days I was strong ... I was just about strong enough to get my gun and shoot him in the ass!"

Puttin' Rich on the DVD player now ...

RIP, man.

Bake

[LincolnMcGrath]

80. .

:cry:

[fishwax]

81. aw fuck

:cry:

[Enraged_Ape]

83. One of my favorite comics of all time

I heard Richard Pryor for the first time as a sophomore in high-school, when I went on an overnight field trip. One of my roomies brought a few of RP's tapes, and we listened to them over and over again in the dark, just laughing our asses off the entire time. Our teacher, a Mormon, would come by every so often and wonder what was going on. When we saw her shadow under the door, we would flick the tape player off and pretend to be sound asleep and snoring. This went on until about three or four in the morning.

I will miss you, Mr. Pryor. Thanks for the laughs and memories.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

86. "Cops'll put a hurtin on yo ass man"

RIP Richard, you will be sorely missed. Your honesty, bravery, and downright motherfucking hilarity will never be forgotten. Welcome to "legend".

[goclark]

87. RIP Richard Pryor, you were a teacher

to all who were able to listen , really listen to your words.

Even though your humor was some times laced with "bad words," your honesty was GOOD.

You were able to bring your cultural knowledge to all America, and especially White America.

As an African American, your brilliant message from the ghetto was expressed sharply and while millions were listening and laughing, they were also LEARNING about injustice in America.

They loved you so they embraced your honesty and your message.

IMO, one of the main reasons that this thread is so long is because your message was signed,sealed and delivered to many White Americans of your generations and they realized that you were for Civil Rights and Justice ~ I believe that you had a huge influence on the political beliefs of your era.

RIP ~ the world will miss you.

African Americans are extremely proud that you helped so many to understand our urban problems. Your keen humor encouraged so many to have more compassion for ALL people. What a gift you gave us!

Damn! How I wish that stem cell research could have been allowed to save you and others with MS!

It will come, and once again, you have called attention to an issue that needs the spotlight.

[latebloomer]

88. Brilliant comedian

My all-time favorite.

This is so sad, even though it feels like he slipped away from us a long time ago.

[Centered]

89. RIP

RIP Sir, you were a wonderful comedian.

[sweetheart]

90. RIP richard pryor

Good luck in your journey, honourable soul, you will be missed.

You were one of the "coolest" actors... man you were cool, humility,
wit and honesty as an art form of urban cool comedy.

I'm upset to hear, but i know he's probably bathed in light,
overjoyed to be moved on from a well lived life.

RIP beloved man.

[lonestarnot]

92. I loved you Richard and I'm going to sorely miss you.

:cry:

[fortyfeetunder]

94. In case y'all want to reminisce...

http://www.richardpryor.com

It has not been updated yet, that I can tell.

[justasoldier]

95. .