Profile
Richard Pryor
Comedian and Actor
Male
Born
Dec 1, 1940
Hometown
United States
Died
Dec 10, 2005
Death Place
United States
Genres
Satire + Black co...
Nationality
United States
Other Names
Richard Franklin ...
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer, and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity… Read More
Photos
View newly released photos of Richard Pryor.
Romance
Check out the latest love interests for Richard Pryor.
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Jennifer LeeMarried 2001 - 2005
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Jennifer LeeMarried 2001 - 2005
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Flynn BelaineMarried 1990 - 2087
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Deborah McGuireMarried 1977 - 1978
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Shelley R. BonusMarried 1968 - 1969
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Deana HaightDated 1966 - 1967
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Patricia PriceMarried 1960 - 1961
Family
Discover the family history of Richard Pryor.
Richard Pryor
d.2005
children
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Kelsey PryorSon
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Renee PryorDaughter
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Franklin PryorSon
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Elizabeth PryorDaughter
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Richard Pryor Jr.Son
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Steven PryorSon
News + Updates
Browse recent news and stories about Richard Pryor.
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5 Business Success Lessons Of Louis C.K.Fox Business News - May 03, 2013
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Among Men.Com: The Last Time The Toronto Maple Leafs Made The Playoffs...Huffington Post Sports - Apr 23, 2013
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Legendary Woodstock Performer Dead At 72Huffington Post - Apr 22, 2013
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Art Levine: Maria Bamford, Erin Foley Triumph At Women In Comedy Festival Their WayHuffington Post - Mar 30, 2013
Timeline
Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Richard Pryor.
CHILDHOOD
1940
Birth
Born on December 1, 1940.
TEENAGE
1958
17 Years Old
Pryor served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960, but spent virtually the entire stint in an army prison.
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1960
19 Years Old
During this time, Pryor's girlfriend gave birth to a girl named Renee. Years later, however, he found out that she was not his child. In 1960, he married Patricia Price and they had one child together, Richard Jr. (his first child and first son). They divorced in 1961.
TWENTIES
1963
22 Years Old
In 1963, Pryor moved to New York City and began performing regularly in clubs alongside performers such as Bob Dylan and Woody Allen.
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In September 1967, Pryor had what he called in his autobiography Pryor Convictions an "epiphany" when he walked onto the stage at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas (with Dean Martin in the audience), looked at the sold-out crowd, exclaimed over the microphone "What the f@#k am I doing here!?", and walked off the stage.
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1968
27 Years Old
His first comedy recording, the eponymous 1968 debut release on the Dove/Reprise label, captures this particular period, tracking the evolution of Pryor's routine.
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In 1969, his third child and second daughter, Rain Pryor, was born.
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THIRTIES
1973
32 Years Old
In 1973, the relatively unknown comedian appeared in the documentary Wattstax, where he riffed on the tragic-comic absurdities of race relations in Watts and the nation.
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His third, breakthrough album, That Nigger's Crazy, was released in 1974 and, Laff, who claimed ownership of Pryor's recording rights, almost succeeded in getting an injunction to prevent the album from being sold.
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He married actress Deborah McGuire in 1977, but they divorced in 1978.
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Before his infamous 1980 freebasing accident, Pryor was about to start filming Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I, but was replaced at the last minute by Gregory Hines.
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FORTIES
1984
43 Years Old
In 1984, his fourth child and second son, Steven, was born to his girlfriend Flynn Belaine.
Meanwhile, another of Pryor's girlfriends, Geraldine Mason, gave birth to Franklin Mason, his fifth child and third son, in April 1987.
FIFTIES
1998
57 Years Old
In 1998, Pryor won the first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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In 2000, Rhino Records remastered all of Pryor's Reprise and WB albums for inclusion in the box set And It's Deep Too!
… Read More
LATE ADULTHOOD
2001
60 Years Old
In 2001, he remarried Jennifer Lee, who had also become his manager.
In 2002 a television documentary depicted Pryor's life and career.
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2003
62 Years Old
A 2003 television documentary, Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! consisted of archival footage of Pryor's performances and testimonials from fellow comedians, including Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Wanda Sykes, and Denis Leary, on Pryor's influence on comedy.
In 2004, Pryor was voted #1 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
The first five tracks on the 2005 compilation CD Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966–1974), recorded in 1966 and 1967, capture Pryor in this era.
Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pryor.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.