The funniest man who ever lived is gone.
Richard Pryor, the groundbreaking comedian 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.It's not a surprise, due to his illness and to his use and abuse of various substances, but it still hurts. He was the first "blue" comedian I ever heard and, as I was just saying the other day, his comedy stands the test of time. Remember the 'monkey' routine? Remember 'Mudbone?' Remember him joking about the freebasing incident? Milk and cookies, indeed.Pryor died shortly before 8 a.m. after being taken to a hospital from his home in the San Fernando Valley, said his business manager, Karen Finch. He had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.
"We loved him and will miss you," his ex-wife, Flynn Pryor, said from her Florida home.
He was even funny on television, where he had to clean it up considerably. (He had his own series for a short time.)
As the former Mrs. Pryor said--he had a knack for keeping the love of his many ex-wives--I will love and miss that Crazy...man.
UPDATE: Roger L. Simon--who worked with The Great Pryor--pays tribute.
