The funniest comedian in the history of ever has left the building. Richard Pryor, who was YEARS ahead of his time, suffered a fatal heart attack on Saturday. He was 65.
Pryor's early work was so outrageously funny that it is still a riot 30 years later. Many have approached his level since - Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and others. But none has equaled him. Keep in mind that Pryor was doing his best stuff when those other guys were the funniest kids in the preschools.
His life took a serious turn for the worse in 1980, when he nearly killed himself in a fiery accident while freebasing cocaine. He came back from that near-fatal incident and incorporated it into his act. However, he was diagnosed with MS in the early 90s and his health quickly deteriorated. He attempted a comeback in the mid-90s, but was obviously disabled by the disease.
Regardless of the crappy hand he was dealt later in life, there is NO DOUBT that Pryor contributed to American culture and society. He will be missed, but you can look forward to catching his headline act in Heaven for eternity.
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