I posted a notice about Richard Pryor’s birthday to my Facebook page and got enough action on it that it seemed more attention was due for the clown prince’s special day. Pryor would have been 75 this week (born December 1, 1940). Pryor started his career modelling himself on the clean style of Bill Cosby, but he found the counterculture crowd preferred him profane and wanted to hear about the kinds of gritty realities Pryor knew from his early childhood where he was raised in his grandmother’s brothel. At the height of his powers Pryor all but abandoned jokes, telling stories and inhabiting characters, presaging the observational style that characterized the comedy boom of the 1980′s and laid the foundation for superstars like Jerry Seinfeld.
It might seem hard to believe, but Pryor actually had his own television show for kids in the mid-1980′s. Pryor’s Place featured the eponymous star as a variety of characters interacting with a cast of regulars including kids, adults and several puppet characters. The show’s writer was Pryor’s longtime comedy partner, Paul Mooney, and the theme song was sung by Ray Parker Jr. of “Ghostbusters” fame. Parker also appeared in the show’s opening credits. See for yourself…
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