Richard Pryor

Background

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr., or Richard Pryor, as he was called, was a celebrated American comedian and actor. He was born on December 1, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois, U.S., to LeRoy Buck Carter Pryor, a former boxer, and Gertrude Thomas, a sex worker. Pryor grew up in a brothel owned by his grandmother, where his mother worked. His father also worked as a hustler and a pimp. At 10, he was abandoned by his mother and then raised by his abusive grandmother.

In 1963, he relocated to New York, where he began performing in clubs alongside Woody Allen and Bob Dylan. His earliest inspiration was Bill Cosby, and he began as a middlebrow comic. When his career kicked off, he was invited to various popular T.V. shows, including “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson,” and such. He released his first comedy recording, “Richard Pryor,” in 1968. In the ‘70s, he wrote for shows including “Sanford and Son.” After making his film debut in “The Busy Body” (1967), he appeared in movies such as “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), “Adios Amigo” (1975), and “Car Wash” (1976). He released his third comedy album with Stax Records in 1974. This turned out to be his breakthrough album and won the Best Comedy Album Grammy at the 1975 Grammy Awards. His next album in 1976 won Best Comedy Recording at the 1977 Grammys. In 1980, he starred in “Stir Crazy,” earning a million dollars for his role. Three years later, Pryor signed a $40 million, five-year contract with Columbia Pictures.

He was an exceptionally gifted comedian with a unique storytelling style. He was voted number one on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time and was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was married seven times to five women and had seven children. He struggled with substance abuse and alcoholism and suffered his third heart attack on December 10, 2005, which proved fatal.