Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor, born on December 1st, 1940, Peoria, Illinois, U.S. was a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer, who reached a wide audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, being widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential stand-up comedians of all time. His body of work includes the concert movies and recordings: Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin' (1971), That Nigger's Crazy (1974), ...Is It Something I Said? (1975), Bicentennial Nigger (1976), Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979), Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982), and Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983).
Richard Pryor is an American icon whose name evokes irreverent humor, social critique, and a perplexing degree of self-agonized genius. This anthology captures in one volume the spirit, zest, and cultural impact of Pryor's complex artistry. Audrey Thomas McCluskey has assembled insightful essays from a broad range of scholars, social critics, writers, filmmakers, and other established and emerging commentators on American culture. Although a celebration of Pryor's genius, the book approaches the subject with a critical sensibility that provides insight into his work to reveal how he simultaneously highlighted and embodied prominent narratives of race, gender, and social conditions in America in ways that continue to enlighten and entertain.
Hollywood studios were once eager to bring stand-up comedy king Richard Pryor's dynamic humor to the big screen--so much so that studio executives gave him full access to available resources and creative control to develop his own projects. Unfortunately Pryor's screen talents were far less acclaimed than his stage ones, and flops such as The Toy and Superman III greatly diminished his reputation. The author examines how this downfall unfolded through comprehensive analyses of each of Pryor's movies.
A major biography-intimate, gripping, revelatory-of an artist who revolutionized American comedy. Richard Pryor may have been the most unlikely star in Hollywood history. Raised in his family's brothels, he grew up an outsider to privilege. He took to the stage, originally, to escape the hard-bitten realities of his childhood, but later came to a reverberating discovery: that by plunging into the depths of his experience, he could make stand-up comedy as exhilarating and harrowing as the life he'd known. He brought that trembling vitality to Hollywood, where his movie career-Blazing Saddles, the buddy comedies with Gene Wilder, Blue Collar-flowed directly out of his spirit of creative improvisation. The major studios considered him dangerous. Audiences felt plugged directly into the socket of life. Becoming Richard Pryor brings the man and his comic genius into focus as never before. Drawing upon a mountain of original research-interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts-Scott Saul traces Pryor's rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his apprentice days in Greenwich Village to his soul-searching interlude in Berkeley and his ascent in the "New Hollywood" of the 1970s. Becoming Richard Pryor illuminates an entertainer who, by bringing together the spirits of the black freedom movement and the counterculture, forever altered the DNA of American comedy. It reveals that, while Pryor made himself a legend with his own account of his life onstage, the full truth of that life is more bracing still.
A major biography-intimate, gripping, revelatory-of an artist who revolutionized American comedy. Richard Pryor may have been the most unlikely star in Hollywood history. Raised in his family's brothels, he grew up an outsider to privilege. He took to the stage, originally, to escape the hard-bitten realities of his childhood, but later came to a reverberating discovery: that by plunging into the depths of his experience, he could make stand-up comedy as exhilarating and harrowing as the life he'd known. He brought that trembling vitality to Hollywood, where his movie career-Blazing Saddles, the buddy comedies with Gene Wilder, Blue Collar-flowed directly out of his spirit of creative improvisation. The major studios considered him dangerous. Audiences felt plugged directly into the socket of life. Becoming Richard Pryor brings the man and his comic genius into focus as never before. Drawing upon a mountain of original research-interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts-Scott Saul traces Pryor's rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his apprentice days in Greenwich Village to his soul-searching interlude in Berkeley and his ascent in the "New Hollywood" of the 1970s. Becoming Richard Pryor illuminates an entertainer who, by bringing together the spirits of the black freedom movement and the counterculture, forever altered the DNA of American comedy. It reveals that, while Pryor made himself a legend with his own account of his life onstage, the full truth of that life is more bracing still.
Pryor Lives How Richard Pryor Became Richard Pryor By Cecil Brown How did a scraggly standup comic became one of America's most controversial social satirists? How did Richard Pryor take the traditional stand-up form and used it to become a cultural hero? Cecil Brown, who, after witnessing Mr. Pryor's performance at Mandrake's in 1969 in Berkeley, California, became his running buddy for the next 30 years. He traveled with Mr. Pryor, wrote screenplays for him, and collaborated with him on other projects. Using many years of intimate experiences behind the scenes, Mr. Brown traces the evolution of Mr. Pryor's "white bread" comedy," (in which he imitated Bill Cosby) to the hilariously raunchy material that catapulted him to international fame. Following Mr. Pryor's career from the small standup performances in Berkeley to his performances at the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, the author shows how Mr. Pryor used his stage performances to transform the harsh unforgiving realities of his life (tax evasion, domestic violence, freebase meltdown, heart attacks) into classic American comic art. Tracking Mr. Pryor's rise to star power, this book shows how Mr. Pryor made Stand-Up, into an instrument of spontaneity and a serious platform for public joking. If Pryor had stayed with this program, he would have been just another brilliant comedian. But, as Brown reveals, Mr. Pryor went further. His art depended on his locating, exposing, and tracking the demons that plagued his audience. His performance on stage resembled a shaman performing a ritual of exorcism. As a healer, he used comedy to nurse the damaged souls of the counter-culture, the black power community, the hippies, the new-age, the born-again Christians back to health. There is no better example of this phenomena than the Hollywood Bowl incident that took place in 1977 in Los Angeles, in which Mr. Pryor addressed a 17, 000 crowd that was celebrating support for Gay Pride. He chastised the white and largely gay audience for not giving attention to the suffering of inner city Blacks. The audience booed and hissed him. As one member of the audience later recalled, "Pryor presented his backside to us and informed us we could kiss his 'rich, black ass '". The honesty that Mr. Pryor offered that evening still reverberates in our society today and has caused the gay community to become for aware of the misfortunate of others. Written in a humorous, scholarly, witty style, this biography earns the accolades that Pryor himself wrote about his friend. "I have never met a writer who loved his work as much as Cecil Brown," Pryor wrote in praise of Brown's novel, Days Without Weather (1983), "The humor, the warmth, and even the smell are beautiful. The gentleness with which he handles his memories of his character is great." "A great writer, and a great friend," he said, on the Bicentennial Nigger album. Book Reviews: Forget about those other books written ostensibly about Richard Pryor Finally, there is a sensitive, revealing and truthful book concerning Richard Pryor and how he became the funniest man in America on stage and on film. Part memoir, and part eyewitness to Show Business history, Cecil Brown's book, PRYOR LIVES is the most definitive book to date about the late comedian's rise to unparalleled stardom. From living and working in Berkeley, California - to being swallowed up by the infested shark-filled waters of Hollywood, the reader will see Richard Pryor with a new, eye-opening perspective - as Cecil Brown writes with empathy and passion about Pryor's comedy, his life-style, and the tragic events that encompassed his life. Read this book It's ground breaking in its scope and style And it is funny as hell Robert N. Zagone Film Director
When I was born, I weighed two pounds, three ounces. The doctor who examined me told my mother, "Congratulations, Mrs. Pryor, you have a boy No, wait, it's a girl No, it is a boy "Mom cried, "What did I have? A freak?"Yes and No.My freakish life parallels my father's in many ways: a Peoria whorehouse, abuse, alcohol and drug addiction, and frequent bad decisions.But I survived. And that's what my book is about, a real-life story of overcoming obstacles, surviving, and thriving. Richard Pryor Jr.
When I was born, I weighed two pounds, three ounces. The doctor who examined me told my mother, "Congratulations, Mrs. Pryor, you have a boy No, wait, it's a girl No, it is a boy "Mom cried, "What did I have? A freak?"Yes and No.My freakish life parallels my father's in many ways: a Peoria whorehouse, abuse, alcohol and drug addiction, and frequent bad decisions.But I survived. And that's what my book is about, a real-life story of overcoming obstacles, surviving, and thriving. Richard Pryor Jr.
The Orthians (more commonly called the "Grays") are a highly intelligent alien species. They work hard to ensure their designs, ships, and crews are always fit for interstellar travel. Only two days ago, the High Council of Sentients directed Commander Onhu Elau, the Grays' most senior leader, to reassess Earth's primary inhabitants: --man. Per their order, he and his crew will again travel 11 light-years to an obscure planet circling a G-type main-sequence star (G2V) deep within the Milky Way Galaxy: --Earth. The Commander and his crew last visited Earth's solar system 203 earth years ago. Although he is fully prepared, he can only do so by evading both the Insectoids of Iberium and the Reptilians of Sheron in getting there. He knows how important it is to give Earth's human inhabitants an objective assessment, but he is unsure about how much (or how little) human development may have occurred since. Indeed, his years of command experience taught him to be very wary and to not underestimate any species. He has seen many and has personally witnessed nature's genius, adaptability and aggression. Upon the ship's arrival, the Gray Commander is truly impressed by how much human development and advancement has occurred. His advance probe and its 2,000 advance nanobots record an enormous amount of information on mankind and his achievements, including: (1) developing proven vaccines (1796); (2) proposing a theory of evolution (1859); 3) creating the automobile (1885); (4) mastering flight (1903); (5) developing theories of relativity and quantum mechanics (1905); (6) creating digital photography images (1957); (7) traveling to their moon (1969); (8) creating the internet and electronic connection devices (1969); (9) creating electronic writing (1971); (10) creating adaptive digital music (1973). Other examples were present as well. As part of the visit, the Commander decides to test man in order to present a more balanced view of his progress back to the High Council. He knows that "progress" is a relative term, so he and his command staff administer a sophisticated test to see if man can really overcome his inherent, sapient weaknesses. Specifically, he directs the use of their sixth-dimension portal to record all the outcomes for a group of seven human test subjects. This portal mirrors their lives and captures all of their personal histories, live thoughts and real-time actions, including their personal virtues and vices: --pride, lust, gluttony, envy, wrath, sloth, and greed ('the seven deadly sins'). With this powerful tool, the Grays could certainly alter the destiny of mankind, but would they? So join Commander Elau's reconnaissance mission to Earth where he finds a species with notable achievements but still trying to overcome its own worst instincts. His interstellar experiment produces mixed results, but they reveal much about man's soul and his future. His wisdom may also show whether Earth's dominant species is worthy enough to join the High Council of Sentients. Put simply, if man passes the test, he will be accepted. If not, he will be left uninvited and totally alone for further development or possible extinction.
The Orthians (more commonly called the "Grays") are a highly intelligent alien species. They work hard to ensure their designs, ships, and crews are always fit for interstellar travel. Only two days ago, the High Council of Sentients directed Commander Onhu Elau, the Grays' most senior leader, to reassess Earth's primary inhabitants: --man. Per their order, he and his crew will again travel 11 light-years to an obscure planet circling a G-type main-sequence star (G2V) deep within the Milky Way Galaxy: --Earth. The Commander and his crew last visited Earth's solar system 203 earth years ago. Although he is fully prepared, he can only do so by evading both the Insectoids of Iberium and the Reptilians of Sheron in getting there. He knows how important it is to give Earth's human inhabitants an objective assessment, but he is unsure about how much (or how little) human development may have occurred since. Indeed, his years of command experience taught him to be very wary and to not underestimate any species. He has seen many and has personally witnessed nature's genius, adaptability and aggression. Upon the ship's arrival, the Gray Commander is truly impressed by how much human development and advancement has occurred. His advance probe and its 2,000 advance nanobots record an enormous amount of information on mankind and his achievements, including: (1) developing proven vaccines (1796); (2) proposing a theory of evolution (1859); 3) creating the automobile (1885); (4) mastering flight (1903); (5) developing theories of relativity and quantum mechanics (1905); (6) creating digital photography images (1957); (7) traveling to their moon (1969); (8) creating the internet and electronic connection devices (1969); (9) creating electronic writing (1971); (10) creating adaptive digital music (1973). Other examples were present as well. As part of the visit, the Commander decides to test man in order to present a more balanced view of his progress back to the High Council. He knows that "progress" is a relative term, so he and his command staff administer a sophisticated test to see if man can really overcome his inherent, sapient weaknesses. Specifically, he directs the use of their sixth-dimension portal to record all the outcomes for a group of seven human test subjects. This portal mirrors their lives and captures all of their personal histories, live thoughts and real-time actions, including their personal virtues and vices: --pride, lust, gluttony, envy, wrath, sloth, and greed ('the seven deadly sins'). With this powerful tool, the Grays could certainly alter the destiny of mankind, but would they? So join Commander Elau's reconnaissance mission to Earth where he finds a species with notable achievements but still trying to overcome its own worst instincts. His interstellar experiment produces mixed results, but they reveal much about man's soul and his future. His wisdom may also show whether Earth's dominant species is worthy enough to join the High Council of Sentients. Put simply, if man passes the test, he will be accepted. If not, he will be left uninvited and totally alone for further development or possible extinction.
The High Council of Sentients is comprised of five Gray Elders: Ikolf, Htron, Tsae, Htuos, and Tsew. They are enlightened vessels of truth and light that possess the total sum of all knowledge and wisdom ever gathered since their sentient life began eons ago. Their expressed purpose is to seek out, establish and ensure "a higher order" for all life forms within the Universe. Despite their wisdom, knowledge and the genius of their technology, the Grays know that they need all the help they can get to meet their prime directive for promoting life, safeguarding peace and ensuring prosperity.
The High Council of Sentients is comprised of five Gray Elders: Ikolf, Htron, Tsae, Htuos, and Tsew. They are enlightened vessels of truth and light that possess the total sum of all knowledge and wisdom ever gathered since their sentient life began eons ago. Their expressed purpose is to seek out, establish and ensure "a higher order" for all life forms within the Universe. Despite their wisdom, knowledge and the genius of their technology, the Grays know that they need all the help they can get to meet their prime directive for promoting life, safeguarding peace and ensuring prosperity.
