So Long Richard....................

The Most influential comedian of the last 40 years, possibly of modern times passed away. His name was Richard Pryor, and you know his work.

There is a lot one can say about this man, but first and foremost, he made us laugh. From the good ole' boy to the upscale urbanite, and all points in between- he made us all laugh. This man took his personal demons and addictions, everyday insight, wrapped them in comedy, boldly held them up to the light, just to make people laugh-and we laughed.


We laughed so hard and long we could not see how much hurt Richard had inside, we laughed so hard that we did not realize our funnyman was doing more drugs than five rock groups of the sixties combined.


Then one day we gasped. We gasped when Richard’s demons caught up with him in a self-inflicted inferno that threatened to rob us of his genius, a genius that we were willing to stand in line an pay good money to witness.


Then we cried. We cried when the outlook for Richard’s survival was slim, when it seemed as though his genius was gone from our lives, no more Mudbone, no more insight into this crazy thing called life.


Then, unexpectantly, we laughed once more. Richard was back, as if defying death itself, Richard came back. Striding across a stage during a live concert, Richard once again laid it all out there, held it up to the light, made us damned near bust a gut laughing so hard. Chastising us like children for the Richard Pryor on fire jokes some of us had made, drawing us into his near death experience, making us feel the desperation and pain of that fiery night, yes, by that time even the most dense among us knew there was pain involved with the laughter- he made us feel it, and once again, we laughed.


It would be Richard’s last great show, the last time he would walked onto a stage alone, hold a audience in both hands and wring the laughter out of it, but it wouldn’t be the last time Richard made us feel something, or laugh for that matter.


Years later we saw Richard Pryor, battling MS, cracking jokes about a disease that we didn't understand, but knowing it would ultimately take his life. Once again Richard put it out there, made us laugh. It was an uneasy laugh, a laugh that was aware of his mortality, a laugh that knew what he had given us, and what we were loosing. Yet it was a laugh.


MS did take Richard’s life, this past weekend, and most of us are relieved that his suffering is over and pray that he has peace. I think Richard is having the last laugh- the funny men and funny women you see performing today- they all learned their craft imitating Richard, or imitating those influenced by Richard, there is a little of Richard in all of them, And it makes us laugh. It makes us laugh, long and hard- like Richard did. Thank you Richard Pryor, thank you for the laughter.


Take Care