Yeah, he's done some great standup. I think FilmFour are showing one of his performances soon, but knowing my luck I've probably just missed it. That'll teach me to read the TV guides they send me...

There was a thing on that "Storm Over 4" documentary a couple of years back about the tabloids complaining about C4 showing a Pryor stand-up show with loads of swearing in. It was quite exciting to see all these stuffy posh middle-aged middle-management types saying that they felt it deserved to be shown because it was 'technically brilliant'. They showed some clips, and I find that I can only agree with their theory.

Wotcha Boki, by the way.

Murphy was only ever a pallid imitation of Pryor (Chris Rock's kind of nearer the mark, but he's working in slightly easier times). He had all the "nigger" and "motherfucker" spiel down pat, as well as that hilarious trademark "ih, ih, ih" laugh, which brought so much pleasure to... well, presumably someone; but he failed to realise that in between the swearing and the stuff about black women, white women, black men, white men etc etc, there were supposed to be some *jokes*.

I think a lot of people find themselves liking Pryor's stand-up where they wouldn't sit through similar material performed by someone with less charm. In this respect he could be seen as a black Billy Connolly...

I think Pryor was a lot more important than Billy Connolly, he had more in common with Bill Hicks or Lenny Bruce. He was the first comic who actually criticised people for using the 'N' word (you probably saw him do this on his Film Four movie the other night, talking about visiting Africa), as well as getting involved with civil, feminist and gay rights issues. He was also the first black actor to be on the Hollywood 'A' list and able to name his price for a movie. It's generally said that his love for high living was what did him in, but I disagree - I think it was a combination of bad business decisions, stultifying bad movie choices (The Toy, anyone? Thought not.) and too little an awareness of how important a comic he was.

And he was able to set fire to his own hair while smoking crack in a wheel chair.
I'd like to see Chris 'I have a high voice, and I'm black' Rock do that.

The man was a genius. in film and stand up.
but can we just go over some of the events that those of us who havent kept up to date arnt sure about?
About 5 years ago I heard he had muscular sclerosis and then a bit later i was shocked to hear that he was dead. um, is this true?
if so how, when, and why was it not in the media?

To my knowledge he's still alive and ill (he suffers from MS).

He has now admitted that the "accident" where he set himself on fire in the early 80's was in fact a suicide attempt - his manager at the time managed to cover this up.

Incidentally, here's a list I just snaffled of the awards he's received over the years - you have to love the fact that some of these album titles will be forever preserved in the Grammy hall of fame - and that someone had to lovingly inscribe "That Nigger's Crazy" onto a statuette...


1974: Writers Guild of America: Best-Written Comedy Written Directly for the Screen, Blazing Saddles; shared award
1974: Grammy: Best Comedy Recording, That Nigger's Crazy
1975: Grammy: Best Comedy Recording, Is It Something I Said?
1976: Grammy: Best Comedy Recording, Bicentennial Nigger
1981: Grammy: Best Comedy Recording, Rev. Du Rite
1982: Grammy: Best Comedy Recording, Live on the Sunset Strip
1982: NATO: Entertainer of the Year
1993: CableACE: Best Entertainment/Cultural Documentary or Informational Special, Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America; shared award as executive producer
1996: NAACP Hall of Fame Award
1998: Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for Humor; initial recipient

(Did anyone else know about this "NATO award"? Who awards it? And who the hell else has received it?)