If there was a Mount Rushmore for influential stand-up comedians, Richard Pryor would unanimously be voted to be on it by every comic in the world. He was born in Peoria, Illinois as Richard Franklin Lennox Pryor III and had about as hard of an upbringing as you could imagine. His mom was a sex worker who abandoned him at 10 years old, and he was subsequently raised by his grandmother in her brothel with his early years being just rife with abuse of every kind. So he escaped his harsh life by going to the movies and developed a comedic take on the world that would develop into being the most influential and often times controversial take on African American living in the 1960s/70s. Richard jumped between New York comedy clubs and Las Vegas, honing in his comedic timing and then got some big breaks out in LA, making him a sought after name, garnering him larger venues for his comedy. His comedy albums and specials set the tone for almost every comedian to follow once he became the biggest act in town. After that, he started getting offered big movies and his life-long friendship with Gene Wilder made them one of the funniest duos in the history of film. They did Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991) together. Richard also starred in serious films too with Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Greased Lightning (1977), and Blue Collar (1978). Richard also had some very public issues with drugs, was married 7 times, had 8 children over those marriages, and was rumored to be a lover of Marlon Brando in his prime and openly bisexual amongst his close friends. There isn't much this man didn't do over his lifetime, including being the first black person to host Saturday Night Live! Sadly though, he was diagnoses with multiple sclerosis in 1986, had multiple heart attacks the following years, and shuffled off the mortal coil just 9 days past his 65th birthday in 2005. He has been listed as the greatest stand-up of all time by many and there isn't a single person who stepped on stage who wouldn't agree!
