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An audience in Tel Aviv, Israel waiting to see the Batsheva Dance Company

An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video game (in which they are called "players"), or academics in any medium. Audience members participate in different ways in different kinds of art; some events invite overt audience participation and others allowing only modest clapping and criticism and reception.

Media audiences are studied by academics in media audience studies. Audience theory offers scholarly insight into audiences in general. These insights shape our knowledge of just how audiences affect and are affected by different forms of art. The biggest art form is the mass media. Films along with video games etc. take on a huge impact from the "audience" along with their reviews and recommendations. Jeff Jarvis, former media executive states "“Give the people control of media, they will use it. The corollary: Don’t give the people control of media, and you will lose. Whenever citizens can exercise control, they will.” ^[1] As the audience we take on a lot of power as separate individuals and as a group. Now it has expanded into not just a movie screen or television but how we react to applications, the device we preview it on, the place we watch the film or even the time. ^[2]

Audience participation[link]

This section requires expansion.

An audience at the Brooklyn Book Festival in New York City.

Some more advanced audience participation is most commonly found in performances which break the fourth wall. Examples include the traditional British pantomimes, stand-up comedy, and creative stage shows such as Blue Man Group

One of the most well-known examples of popular audience participation is the motion picture and music The Rocky Horror Picture Show and its earlier stage incarnation The Rocky Horror Show. The audience participation elements are often seen as the most important part of the picture, to the extent that the audio options on the DVD version include the option. In the audience participation for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the audience make "call backs", and yell at the screen at certain parts of the movie. Also, a number of props are thrown and used by the audience during certain parts of the film. These props include:

• Rice - for the wedding scene
• Water pistols - to simulate the rain that Brad and Janet are walking in
• Toilet paper - when Dr. Scott enters the lab and Brad cries out "Great Scott!"
• Noisemakers - used at the beginning of the creation scene
• Confetti - used at the end of "I can make you a Man"
• Toast - used at the dinner scene
• Party hats - used at the dinner scene
• Playing cards - used in "I'm going home"

Examples of audience participation[link]

Audience Frontier Fiesta, 1950s, Audience at a Frontier Fiesta show

Audience at a show in Hong Kong.

Another murder mystery is "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", a Broadway musical based on Charles Dickens's last, unfinished work. In it, the audience must vote for who they think the murderer is, as well as the real identity of the detective and the couple who end up together.

During the 1984 Summer Olympics, cards were inserted into the seats of the Olympic Stadium. The announcer gave a countdown to and told the audience to the raise the cards, revealing the flags of all the participating Nations.

Tony and Tina's Wedding is an example of a form of audience participation that engages the entire audience at once, staging a narrative set during a wedding in which the audience performs the role of "guests".

The British panel game QI often allows the audience to try to answer questions. Currently, the audience have won one show, and have come last in another.

Magic shows often rely on some audience participation. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown relies heavily on audience participation in his live shows.

Types of audiences[link]

Particular (real) audiences[link]

In rhetoric, particular audiences depend on circumstance and situation, and are characterized by the individuals that make up the audience. Particular audiences are subject to persuasion and engage with the ideas of the speaker. Ranging in size and composition, particular audiences can come together to form a "composite" audience of multiple particular groups.

Immediate audiences[link]

An immediate audience is a type of particular audience that is composed of individuals who are face-to-face subjects with a speaker and a speaker’s rhetorical text or speech. This type of audience directly listens to, engages with, and consumes the rhetorical text in an unmediated fashion. In measuring immediate audience reception and feedback, (audience measurement), one can depend on personal interviews, applause, and verbal comments made during and after a rhetorical speech.

Mediated audiences[link]

In contrast to immediate audiences, mediated audiences are composed of individuals who consume rhetorical texts in a manner that is different from the time or place in which the speaker presents a text. Audiences who consume texts or speeches through television, radio, and Internet are considered mediated audiences because those mediums separate the rhetor and the audience. Understanding the size and composition of mediated audiences can be difficult because mediums such as television, radio, and Internet can displace the audience from the time and circumstance of a rhetorical text or speech. In measuring mediated audience reception and feedback, (audience measurement), one can depend on opinion polls and ratings, as well as comments and forums that may be featured on a website.

Theoretical (imagined) audiences[link]

Theoretical audiences are audiences that are imagined for the purpose of helping the speaker compose, or a critic to understand, a rhetorical text or speech.

Self as audience (self-deliberation)[link]

When a rhetor deeply considers, questions, and deliberates over the content of the ideas they are conveying, it can be said that these individuals are addressing the audience of self, or self-deliberating. Scholars Chaim Perelman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca, in their book The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation,^[3] argue that the rhetor “is in a better position than anyone else to test the value of his own arguments." The audience of self, while not serving as the ends to all rhetorical purpose or circumstance, nevertheless acts as a type of audience that not only operates as a function of self-help, but as instrument used to discover the available means of persuasion.

Universal audience[link]

The universal audience is an imagined audience that serves as an ethical and argumentative test for the rhetor. It requires the speaker to imagine a composite audience that contains individuals from diverse backgrounds and to discern whether or not the content of the rhetorical text or speech would appeal to individuals within that audience. Scholars Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca ascertain that the content addressed to a universal audience "must convince the reader that the reasons adduced are of a compelling character, that they are self-evident, and possess an absolute and timeless validity".^[4] The concept of the universal audience has received criticism for being idealistic because it can be considered as an impediment in achieving persuasive effect with particular audiences. Yet, it still may be useful as an ethical guide for a speaker and a critical tool for a reader or audience.

Ideal audience[link]

An ideal audience is a rhetor's imagined, intended audience. In creating a rhetorical text, a rhetor imagines a target audience, a group of individuals that will be addressed, persuaded, or affected by the speech or rhetorical text. This type of audience is not necessarily imagined as the most receptive audience, but as the future particular audience that the rhetor will engage with. Imagining such an audience allows a rhetor to formulate appeals that will grant success in engaging with the future particular audience. In considering an ideal audience, a rhetor can imagine future conditions of mediation, size, demographics, and shared beliefs among the audience to be persuaded.

Implied audience[link]

An implied audience is an imaginary audience determined by an auditor or reader as the text’s constructed audience. The implied audience is not the actual audience, but the one that can be inferred by reading or analyzing the text. Communications scholar Edwin Black, in his essay, The Second Persona^[5] presents the theoretical concept of the implied audience using the idea of two persona. The first persona is the implied rhetoric (the idea of the speaker formed by the audience) and the second persona is the implied audience (the idea of the audience formed by and utilized for persuasion in the speech situation). A critic could also determine what the text wants that audience to become or do after the rhetorical situation.Is a group of people who enjoy listening to various music or speeches.The person who empowers them the

most. Is it reformed yes or no?

References[link]

Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor, February 1986
Birth name	Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor
Born	(1940-12-01)December 1, 1940 Peoria, Illinois, United States
Died	December 10, 2005(2005-12-10) (aged 65) Encino, California, United States
Medium	Stand-up, Film, Television
Nationality	American
Years active	1958–1999
Genres	Satire, Observational comedy, Black comedy, Improvisational comedy, Character comedy
Subject(s)	Racism, Race relations, American politics, African-American culture, Human sexuality, Self-deprecation, Everyday life, Recreational drug use
Influences	Lenny Bruce,[1] Jack Benny, Jonathan Winters, Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Redd Foxx, Paul Mooney
Influenced	George Carlin,[2] Martin Lawrence,[3] George Lopez,[4] Denis Leary, Margaret Cho,[5] Eddie Izzard, Dave Chappelle,[6] Chris Rock,[7] Eddie Murphy,[7] Whoopi Goldberg,[8] Bill Hicks,[9] Robin Williams,[8] Lewis Black[10] Colin Quinn,[11] Bernie Mac,[7] Joe Rogan, Chris Tucker[12], Louis C.K.,[13] Patton Oswalt[14] Artie Lange,[15] Jon Stewart,[16]Richard Lewis,[17] and Jim Norton[18]
Spouse	Patricia Price (1960–1961; divorced) 1 child Shelley R. Bonis (1968–1969; divorced) 1 child Deborah McGuire (1977–1978; divorced) Jennifer Lee (1979–1982; divorced) Flynn Belaine (1986–1987; divorced) 2 children Flynn Belaine (1990–1991; divorced) Jennifer Lee (2001–2005; widow)
Notable works and roles	Himself in Richard Pryor: Live in Concert and Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip Daddy Rich in Car Wash Wally Karue in See No Evil, Hear No Evil Harry Monroe in Stir Crazy Gus Gorman in Superman III
Website	RichardPryor.com
Emmy Awards
Writing in Variety or Music 1974 Lily
Grammy Awards
Best Comedy Album 1975 That Nigger's Crazy 1976 ...Is It Something I Said? 1977 Bicentennial Nigger 1982 Rev. Du Rite 1983 Live on the Sunset Strip
American Comedy Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy 1993

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer, and MC.^[19] Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of his era: Jerry Seinfeld called Pryor "The Picasso of our profession";^[20] Bob Newhart has called Pryor "the seminal comedian of the last 50 years.".^[21] This legacy can be attributed, in part, to the unusual degree of intimacy Pryor brought to bear on his comedy. As Bill Cosby reportedly once said, "Richard Pryor drew the line between comedy and tragedy as thin as one could possibly paint it."

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). He also starred in numerous films as an actor, such as Superman III (1983) but was usually in comedies such as Silver Streak (1976), and occasionally in dramatic roles, such as Paul Schrader's film Blue Collar (1978). He collaborated on many projects with actor Gene Wilder. Another frequent collaborator was actor/comedian/writer Paul Mooney.

Pryor won an Emmy Award (1973), and five Grammy Awards (1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, and 1982). In 1974, he also won two American Academy of Humor awards and the Writers Guild of America Award. The first ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was presented to him in 1998. Pryor is listed at Number 1 on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians.

Early life[link]

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Pryor grew up in his grandmother's brothel, where his mother, Gertrude L. (Thomas), practiced prostitution. His father, LeRoy "Buck Carter" Pryor was a former bartender and boxer.^[22]

After his mother abandoned him when he was 10, he was raised primarily by his grandmother Marie Carter,^[23] a violent woman who would beat him for any of his eccentricities.^[24] Pryor was one of four children raised in his grandmother's brothel and was molested as a child.^[22][25]

He was expelled from school at the age of 14. His first professional performance was playing drums at a night club. Pryor served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960, but spent virtually the entire stint in an army prison. According to a 1999 profile about Pryor in The New Yorker, Pryor was incarcerated for an incident that occurred while stationed in Germany. Angered that a white soldier was a bit too amused at the racially charged sections of Douglas Sirk's movie Imitation of Life, Pryor and some other black soldiers beat and stabbed him, though not fatally.^[26] According to Live on the Sunset Strip, when he was 19, he worked at a Mafia-owned nightclub in Youngstown, Ohio, as the MC. On hearing that they would not pay a stripper friend of his, he attempted to hold up the owners with a cap pistol. The owners were greatly amused.

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.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

In 1963, Pryor moved to New York City and began performing regularly in clubs alongside performers such as Bob Dylan and Woody Allen. On one of his first nights, he opened for singer and pianist Nina Simone at New York's Village Gate. Simone recalls Pryor's bout of performance anxiety:

Publicity photo of Richard Pryor for one of his Mister Kelly's appearances, 1968 - 1969.

Inspired by Bill Cosby, Pryor began as a middlebrow comic, with material far less controversial than what was to come. Soon, he began appearing regularly on television variety shows, such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. His popularity led to success as a comic in Las Vegas. 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.

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. Afterward, Pryor began working profanity into his act, including "nigger". 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. Around this time, his parents died — his mother in 1967 and his father in 1968.

In 1967, his second child and first daughter, Elizabeth Ann, was born to his girlfriend Maxine Anderson. Later that year, he married Shelley Bonis. In 1969, his third child and second daughter, Rain Pryor, was born. Pryor and Bonis divorced later that year.

Mainstream success[link]

In 1969, Pryor moved to Berkeley, California, where he immersed himself in the counterculture and rubbed elbows with the likes of Huey P. Newton and Ishmael Reed. He signed with the comedy-oriented independent record label Laff Records in 1970, and in 1971 recorded his second album, Craps (After Hours). 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. Not long afterward, Pryor sought a deal with a larger label, and after some time, signed with Stax Records. 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. Negotiations led to Pryor's release from his Laff contract. In return for this concession, Laff was enabled to release previously unissued material, recorded between 1968 and 1973, at will.

During the legal battle, Stax briefly closed its doors. At this time, Pryor returned to Reprise/Warner Bros. Records, which re-released That Nigger's Crazy, immediately after ...Is It Something I Said?, his first album with his new label. With every successful album Pryor recorded for Warner (or later, his concert films and his 1980 freebasing accident), Laff would quickly publish an album of older material to capitalize on Pryor's growing fame—a practice they continued until 1983. The covers of Laff albums tied in thematically with Pryor movies, such as The Wizard of Comedy for his appearance in The Wiz, Are You Serious? for Silver Streak, and Insane for Stir Crazy.

Pryor also performed in the Lilly Tomlin specials. He is seen here with Tomlin and Alan Alda in Tomlin's 1973 special.

In the 1970s, Pryor wrote for such television shows as Sanford and Son, The Flip Wilson Show and a Lily Tomlin special, for which he shared an Emmy Award^[28]. During this period, Pryor tried to break into mainstream television. He was a guest host on the first season of Saturday Night Live. Richard took long time girlfriend, actress-talk show host Kathrine McKee (sister of Lonette McKee) with him to New York, and she made a brief guest appearance with Pryor on SNL. He participated in a "racist word association" skit^[29] with Chevy Chase.

The Richard Pryor Show premiered on NBC in 1977, but was canceled after only four episodes. Television audiences did not respond to the show's controversial subject matter, and Pryor was unwilling to alter his material for network censors. During the short-lived series, he portrayed the first African-American President of the United States, spoofed the Star Wars cantina, took on gun violence, and in another skit, used costumes and visual distortion to appear nude.^[30]

In 1974, Pryor was arrested for income tax evasion and served 10 days in jail. He married actress Deborah McGuire in 1977, but they divorced in 1978. He soon began dating Jennifer Lee and they married in 1981. They divorced the following year.

In 1979, at the height of his success, Pryor visited Africa. Upon returning to the United States, Pryor swore he would never use the word "nigger" in his stand-up comedy routine again.^[31] (However, his favorite epithet, "motherf@#ker", remains a term of endearment on his official website.)

In the 1970s and 1980s, Pryor appeared in several popular films, including Lady Sings the Blues; The Mack; Uptown Saturday Night; Silver Streak; Which Way Is Up?; Car Wash; Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings; Greased Lightning; Blue Collar & Bustin' Loose. In 1982, Pryor co-starred with Jackie Gleason in The Toy.

Pryor in February 1986.

In 1983, Pryor signed a five-year contract with Columbia Pictures for $40,000,000.^[32] This resulted in the gentrification of Pryor's onscreen persona and softer, more formulaic films like Superman III, (which earned Pryor $4,000,000), Brewster's Millions, Stir Crazy, Moving, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil. The only film project from this period that recalled his rough roots was Pryor's semi-autobiographic debut as a writer-director, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, which was not a major success. Though he made four films with Gene Wilder, the two comic actors were never as close as many thought, according to Wilder's autobiography. 

Pryor co-wrote Blazing Saddles, directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder. Pryor was to play the lead role of Bart, but the film's production studio would not insure him, and Mel Brooks chose Cleavon Little instead. 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. Pryor was also originally considered for the role of Billy Ray Valentine on Trading Places, before Eddie Murphy won the part.

Despite a reputation for constantly using profanity on and off camera, Pryor briefly hosted a children's show on CBS in 1984 called Pryor's Place. Like Sesame Street, Pryor's Place featured a cast of puppets, hanging out and having fun in a surprisingly friendly inner-city environment along with several children and characters portrayed by Pryor himself. However, Pryor's Place frequently dealt with more sobering issues than Sesame Street. It was canceled shortly after its debut, despite the efforts of famed puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft and a theme song by Ray Parker, Jr. of Ghostbusters fame.

Pryor co-hosted the Academy Awards twice, and was nominated for an Emmy for a guest role on the television series, Chicago Hope.

Pryor developed a reputation for being demanding and disrespectful on film sets, and for making selfish and difficult demands. In his autobiography Kiss Me Like a Stranger, co-star Gene Wilder says that Pryor was frequently late to the set during filming of Stir Crazy, and that he demanded, among other things, a helicopter to fly him to and from set because he was the star. Pryor was also accused of using allegations of on-set racism to force the hand of film producers into giving him more money. Also from Wilder's book:

In 1989, he appeared in Harlem Nights, a comedy-drama crime film starring Eddie Murphy. It was a financial success, grossing three times the amount it cost to make it (worldwide) and is well known for starring three generations of black comedians (Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Redd Foxx).

Personal life[link]

Health problems[link]

Pryor suffered a mild heart attack in November 1977. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986.^[33] In 1990, Pryor suffered a second and more severe heart attack and underwent triple heart bypass surgery. By the early 1990s, he was confined to using a wheelchair as well as a motor powered scooter for the remainder of his life to get around when his multiple sclerosis began to take its toll on his body.

The freebasing incident[link]

On June 9, 1980, during the making of the film Bustin' Loose, Pryor set himself on fire after freebasing cocaine while drinking 151-proof rum. He ran down Parthenia Street from his Northridge, California, home, on fire, until subdued by police. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for burns covering more than half of his body. Pryor spent six weeks in recovery at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital. His daughter, Rain Pryor, stated that Pryor poured high-proof rum over his body and set himself on fire in a bout of drug-induced psychosis.^[34]

Pryor incorporated a description of the incident into his comedy show Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip in 1982. He joked that the event was caused by dunking a cookie into a glass of low-fat and pasteurized milk, causing an explosion. At the end of the bit, he poked fun at people who told jokes about it by waving a lit match and saying, "What's that? Richard Pryor running down the street."

After his "final performance", Pryor did not stay away from stand-up comedy long. In 1983, he filmed and released a new concert film and accompanying album, Richard Pryor: Here and Now, which he directed himself. In 1986, he wrote and directed a fictionalized account of his life, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling which revolved around the 1980 freebasing incident.

In 1984, his fourth child and second son, Steven, was born to his girlfriend Flynn Belaine. Pryor married Belaine in October 1986. They divorced in July 1987. Before their divorce was final, Belaine conceived Kelsey Pryor. Meanwhile, another of Pryor's girlfriends, Geraldine Mason, gave birth to Franklin Mason, his fifth child and third son, in April 1987. Six months later in October 1987, Belaine gave birth to Kelsey Pryor, Richard's sixth child and third daughter.

Marriages and relationships[link]

Pryor was married seven times to five different women:

1. Patricia Price (1960–1961, divorced) with one child named Richard Pryor Jr.
2. Shelly Bonis (1967–1969, divorced) with one child named Rain Pryor
3. Deborah McGuire (September 22, 1977 – 1979, divorced)
4. Jennifer Lee (August 1981 – October 1982, divorced)
5. Flynn Belaine (October 1986 – July 1987, divorced) with son Steven (born before the marriage) and daughter Kelsey (before divorce finalized)
6. Flynn Belaine (1 April 1990 – July 1991, divorced)
7. Jennifer Lee (June 29, 2001 – December 10, 2005, his death)

His marriages were characterized by accusations of domestic violence, except for his relationship with Belaine. Most of these allegations were connected to Pryor's drug use. The exception was Patricia Price, who was married to Pryor before his rise to stardom. During his relationship with Pam Grier, Pryor proposed to Deborah McGuire (1977).

He had six children: Richard Jr., Elizabeth, Rain, Steven, Franklin and Kelsey.

Pryor had a relationship with actress Margot Kidder.^[35]

Later life[link]

In his later years starting in the early 1990s, Richard Pryor used a power operated vehicle/scooter due to multiple sclerosis (M.S., which he said stood for "More S#!t"). He appears on the scooter in his last film appearance, a small role in David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997) playing an auto repair garage manager named Arnie.

In 1998, Pryor won the first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. According to former Kennedy Center President Lawrence J. Wilker,

In 2000, Rhino Records remastered all of Pryor's Reprise and WB albums for inclusion in the box set ...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968–1992).

In early 2000, he appeared in the cold open of The Norm Show in the episode entitled "Norm vs. The Boxer". He played an elderly man in a wheelchair who lost the rights to in-home nursing when he kept attacking the nurses, before attacking Norm himself (using a body double).^[36]

In 2001, he remarried Jennifer Lee, who had also become his manager.

In 2002 a television documentary depicted Pryor's life and career. Broadcast in the UK as part of the Channel 4 series Kings of Black Comedy, it was produced, directed and narrated by David Upshal. It featured rare clips from Pryor's 1960s stand-up appearances and movies such as Silver Streak, Blue Collar, Stir Crazy, and Richard Pryor Live In Concert. Contributors included Whoopi Goldberg, Dave Chappelle, Lily Tomlin, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Ice-T, and Paul Mooney. The show tracked down the two cops who rescued Pryor from his "freebasing incident", former managers and even school friends from Pryor's home town of Peoria, Illinois. In the US the show went out as part of the Heroes of Black Comedy series on Comedy Central, narrated by Don Cheadle.

In 2002, Pryor and his wife and manager, Jennifer Lee Pryor, won legal rights to all the Laff material, which amounted to almost 40 hours of reel-to-reel analog tape. After going through the tapes and getting Richard's blessing, Jennifer Lee Pryor gave access to the tapes to Rhino Records in 2004. These tapes, including the entire Craps album, form the basis of the double-CD release Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966–1974).

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. In a 2005 British poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, Pryor was voted the 10th greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

In late 2004, his sister said he had lost his voice as result of his multiple sclerosis. However, on January 9, 2005, Pryor's wife, Jennifer Lee, rebutted this statement in a post on Pryor's official website,^[37] citing Richard as saying: "I'm sick of hearing this s#!t about me not talking... not true... I have good days, bad days... but I still am a talkin' motherf@#ker!"

Pryor was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.^[38] The animal rights organization PETA gives out an award in Pryor's name to people who have done outstanding work to alleviate animal suffering. Pryor was active in animal rights and was deeply concerned about the plight of elephants in circuses and zoos.

Death[link]

Richard Pryor's star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame covered with flowers, beer bottles, fan letters etc.

On December 10, 2005, nine days after his birthday, Pryor suffered a heart attack in Encino, California. He was taken to a local hospital after his wife's attempts to resuscitate him failed. He was pronounced dead at 7:58 am PST. He was 65 years old. His widow Jennifer was quoted as saying, "At the end, there was a smile on his face."^[32] He was cremated and his ashes were given to his family.

Remembrance and legacy[link]

A planned biopic entitled "Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?" is being produced by Chris Rock and Adam Sandler.^[39] The film will star Marlon Wayans as the young Pryor.^[40] Other actors previously attached include Mike Epps and Eddie Murphy. The film will be directed by Bill Condon and is still in development who no release start set as of 11th April 2012.^[41]

On December 19, 2005, BET aired a Pryor special. It included commentary from fellow comedians, and insight into his upbringing.

An image of Pryor can be seen on the Rage Against the Machine music video for their Soulsonic Force cover of "Renegades of Funk".

There is a street just west of the downtown Peoria area named in his honor.

On March 1, 2008, fellow comedian George Carlin performed his final HBO special. An image of Pryor can be seen in the background throughout his set. Carlin would mention Pryor's death in his memoir, Last Words, noting their friendly rivalry that lasted until Carlin finally beat him "in the Heart Attack 5000."

In Jackson Browne's tribute to the roadies and fans, The Load-Out, released on the 1977 album Running on Empty, the lyrics state that "we got Richard Pryor on the video" on the tour bus.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Official canon

• 1968 - Richard Pryor (Dove/Reprise)
• 1971 - Craps (After Hours) (Laff Records, reissued 1993 by Loose Cannon/Island)
• 1974 - That Nigger's Crazy, (Partee/Stax, reissued 1975 by Reprise)
• 1975 - ...Is It Something I Said?, (Reprise, reissued 1991 on CD by Warner Archives)
• 1976 - Holy Smoke!, (Laff)
• 1976 - Bicentennial Nigger, (Reprise)
• 1976 - L.A. Jail, (Tiger Lily)
• 1977 - Are You Serious ???, (Laff)
• 1977 - Who Me? I'm Not Him, (Laff)
• 1978 - Black Ben The Blacksmith, (Laff)
• 1978 - The Wizard of Comedy, (Laff)
• 1978 - Wanted: Live in Concert (2-LP set), (Warner Bros. Records);Others
• 1979 - Outrageous, (Laff)
• 1980 - Insane, (Laff)
• 1981 - Rev. Du Rite, (Laff)
• 1982 - Richard Pryor Live! (picture disc), (Phoenix/Audiofidelity)
• 1982 - Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1983 - Here and Now, (Warner Bros. Records)
• 1983 - Supernigger, (Laff)

Compilations[link]

• 1973 - Pryor Goes Foxx Hunting, (Laff.)
  • Split LP with Redd Foxx, containing previously released tracks from Craps (After Hours)
• 1975 - Down And Dirty, (Laff.)
  • Split LP with Redd Foxx, containing previously released tracks from Craps (After Hours)
• 1976 - Richard Pryor Meets... Richard & Willie And... The SLA!!, (Laff)
  • Split LP with black ventriloquist act Richard And Willie, containing previously released tracks from Craps (After Hours)
• 1977 - Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits, (Warner Bros. Records)
  • Contains tracks from Craps (After Hours), That Nigger's Crazy, and ...Is It Something I Said?, plus a previously unreleased track from 1975, "Ali".
• 2000 - ...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968–1992) (9-CD box set) (Warner Bros. Records/Rhino)
  • Box set collection containing all Warner Bros. albums plus a bonus disc of previously unissued material from 1973 to 1992.
• 2002 - The Anthology (1968–1992) (2-CD set) (Warner Bros. Records/Rhino, 2002 in music)
  • Highlights culled from the albums collected in the ...And It's Deep Too! box set.
• 2005 - Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966–1974) (2-CD set) (Warner Bros. Records/Rhino, 2005 in music)
  • Pryor-authorized compilation of material released on Laff, including the entire Craps (After Hours) album.

Filmography[link]

1967 - The Busy Body 1968 - Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales 1968 - Wild in the Streets 1970 - Black Brigade 1970 - The Phynx 1971 - You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat 1972 - Dynamite Chicken 1972 - Lady Sings the Blues 1973 - The Mack 1973 - Wattstax 1973 - Hit! 1973 - Some Call It Loving 1974 - Uptown Saturday Night 1975 - The Lion Roars Again 1976 - Adios Amigo 1976 - Car Wash 1976 - The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings 1976 - Silver Streak 1977 - Which Way Is Up? 1977 - Greased Lightning 1978 - Blue Collar 1978 - The Wiz 1978 - California Suite 1979 - Richard Pryor: Live in Concert 1979 - The Muppet Movie - (cameo)

1980 - Wholly Moses 1980 - In God We Tru$t 1980 - Stir Crazy 1981 - Bustin' Loose 1982 - Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip 1982 - Some Kind of Hero 1982 - The Toy 1983 - Superman III 1983 - Richard Pryor: Here and Now 1983 - Motown 25 1985 - Live & Smokin' 1985 - Brewster's Millions 1986 - Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling 1987 - Critical Condition 1988 - Moving 1989 - See No Evil, Hear No Evil 1989 - Harlem Nights 1991 - The Three Muscatels 1991 - Another You 1994 - A Century of Cinema 1996 - Mad Dog Time 1997 - Lost Highway 1999 - The Norm Show - (Cameo in Opening of Season 2, Episode 11) 2003 - Bitter Jester 2003 - I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$@!! 2005 - Richard Pryor: The Funniest Man Dead Or Alive (BET Special) 2009 - Black Dynamite - Cameo via archive footage

References[link]

1. ^ Staff writer (2004-05-21). "Pryor: I Owe It All to Lenny Bruce". Contactmusic.com. http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/pryor.-i-owe-it-all-to-lenny-bruce. Retrieved 2009-08-23. 
2. ^ "George Carlin". Inside the Actors Studio. episode 4. season 1. 2004-10-31. Bravo. 
3. ^ Allis, Tim (1993-04-12). "Court Jester". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20110142,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-23. 
4. ^ Lopez, George; Keteyian, Armen (2004). Why You Crying?: My Long, Hard Look at Life, Love, and Laughter. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-5994-7. 
5. ^ Margaret Cho. "Richard Pryor". http://www.margaretcho.com/content/2003/12/04/richard-pryor/. Retrieved 4 December 2003. 
6. ^ "Dave Chappelle". Inside the Actors Studio. episode 10. season 12. 2006-02-12. Bravo. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} Reid, Shaheem (December 12, 2005). "Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Eddie Murphy Call Pryor The Real King Of Comedy — 'Without Richard, There Would Be No Me,' Bernie Mac Says". MTV. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
8. ^ ^{a b} Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$@!!, 2003, Comedy Central
9. ^ Fade to Black - Interviews - Bill Hicks^{[dead link]}
10. ^ Gillette, Amelie (2006-06-07). "Lewis Black". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/content/node/49217. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
11. ^ "Colin Quinn". Popentertainment.com. http://www.popentertainment.com/quinn.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
12. ^ Chris Tucker – Movie and Film Biography and Filmography – AllRovi.com
13. ^ "Interview with Louis C.K.". One Night Stand. HBO. 2005. http://www.hbo.com/onenightstand/interviews/louis_ck.html. Retrieved 2007-12-06. 
14. ^ "aspecialthing.com :: View topic - THE AST INTERVIEW: PATTON OSWALT". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20071013165258/http://aspecialthing.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1465. Retrieved 2010-09-24. 
15. ^ Kirschling, Gregory (2008-11-07). "Artie Lange: 'F--- It, I'll Write a Book'". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20239025_3,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-11. 
16. ^ Jeremy Gillick; Nonna Gorilovskaya (November/December 2008). "Meet Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz (aka) Jon Stewart: The wildly zeitgeisty Daily Show host". Moment. http://www.momentmag.com/Exclusive/2008/12/JonStewart.html. Retrieved August 10, 2009. 
17. ^ Interview with Bill Zehme, Richard Lewis: Concerts from Hell: The Vintage Years, Image Entertainment, Released 2005-09-13
18. ^ "Interview with Jim Norton". One Night Stand. HBO. 2005. http://www.hbo.com/onenightstand/interviews/jim_norton.html. Retrieved 2009-08-23. 
19. ^ Richard Pryor-the Mafia Night Club YouTube
20. ^ Morton, Bruce (December 28, 2005). "Those We Lost". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
21. ^ American Masters . Bob Newhart PBS
22. ^ ^{a b} http://www.richardpryor.com/0/4113/0/1240D1271/ Richard Pryor's official biography
23. ^ "Richard Pryor website". Richardpryor.com. http://www.richardpryor.com/0/4113/0/1240D1271/. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
24. ^ "Richard Pryor". Nndb.com. http://www.nndb.com/people/342/000022276/. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
25. ^ Jones, Steve. "Comedian Richard Pryor dies at 65" USA Today. December 10, 2005
26. ^ Als, Hilton (September 13, 1999). "A Pryor Love". The New Yorker.
27. ^ Simone, Nina; Cleary, Stephen (1991). I Put a Spell on You — The Autobiography of Nina Simone. Pantheon Books (New York City, New York). pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-0-679-41068-3
28. ^ Richard Pryor Emmy Winner
29. ^ "SNL Transcripts: Richard Pryor: 12/13/75: Racist Word Association Interview". Snltranscripts.jt.org. http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75ginterview.phtml. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
30. ^ Silverman, David S. (2007). "You Can't Air That": Four Cases of Controversy and Censorship in American Television Programming. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
31. ^ The word 'Nigger' - Richard Pryor & George Carlin YouTube
32. ^ ^{a b} Staff writer (December 10, 2005). "Comedian Richard Pryor Dead at 65 — Groundbreaking Black U.S. Comedian Richard Pryor Has Died after Almost 20 Years with Multiple Sclerosis". BBC News. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
33. ^ "Richard Pryor". Richard Pryor. http://www.richardpryor.com/0/4113/0/1240/. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
34. ^ Interview with Rain Pryor, November 6, 2006, edition of People, page 76.
35. ^ Nathan Rabin. Random Roles: Margot Kidder (interview) The A.V. Club, March 3, 2009
36. ^ "The Norm Show - Norm vs. the Boxer". Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com Inc. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0662160/. Retrieved 23 August 2011. 
37. ^ "Richard Pryor". Richard Pryor. http://www.richardpryor.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
38. ^ ^{[dead link]}"Richard Pryor to Get Posthumous Grammy Award". VOA News (Voice of America). January 11, 2006. http://voanews.com/english/archive/2006-01/Richard-Pryor-to-Get-Posthumous-Grammy-Award.cfm. Retrieved January 4, 2009. 
39. ^ All Voices Article July 5th 2010
40. ^ Flick Direct article 10th September 2009
41. ^ Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? at the Internet Movie Database

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Richard Pryor

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Richard Pryor

• Richard Pryor at the Internet Movie Database
• Richard Pryor: Stand-Up Philosopher, City Journal, Spring 2009
• Jennifer Lee Pryor at the Internet Movie Database
• Post by Richard Pryor on his official website rebutting voice-loss rumors
• Richard Pryor's Ancestry
• Bright Lights Film Journal career profile

• Richard Pryor at Emmys.com

Obituaries

• "Entertainment | Comedian Richard Pryor dead at 65". BBC News. 2005-12-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4517714.stm. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
• "CNN.com - Comedian Richard Pryor dies at 65 - Dec 11, 2005". Edition.cnn.com. http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/12/11/pryor.obit/. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
• Feeney, Mark (2005-12-11). "Richard Pryor, whose profane, incisive humor revolutionized American comedy, dies at 65 - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2005/12/11/richard_pryor_whose_profane_incisive_humor_revolutionized_american_comedy_dies_at_65/. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
• Schudel, Matt (2005-12-11). "With Humor and Anger On Race Issues, Comic Inspired a Generation". washingtonpost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/10/AR2005121001406.html. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
• Watkins, Mel (2005-12-11). "Richard Pryor, Iconoclastic Comedian, Dies at 65 - New York Times". Nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/arts/11pryor.html?ex=1291957200&en=ea88c61b92de25e6&ei=5090. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 

v t e Hosts of the Academy Awards ceremonies (1961–1980) Bob Hope (1961) Bob Hope (1962) Frank Sinatra (1963) Jack Lemmon (1964) Bob Hope (1965) Bob Hope (1966) Bob Hope (1967) Bob Hope (1968) None (1969) None (1970) None (1971) Helen Hayes / Alan King / Sammy Davis, Jr. / Jack Lemmon (1972) Carol Burnett / Michael Caine / Charlton Heston / Rock Hudson (1973) John Huston / Burt Reynolds / David Niven / Diana Ross (1974) Sammy Davis, Jr. / Bob Hope / Shirley MacLaine / Frank Sinatra (1975) Goldie Hawn / Gene Kelly / Walter Matthau / George Segal / Robert Shaw (1976) Warren Beatty / Ellen Burstyn / Jane Fonda / Richard Pryor (1977) Bob Hope (1978) Johnny Carson (1979) Johnny Carson (1980) Complete list (1927–1940) (1941–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020)

v t e Hosts of the Academy Awards ceremonies (1981–2000) Johnny Carson (1981) Johnny Carson (1982) Liza Minnelli / Dudley Moore / Richard Pryor / Walter Matthau (1983) Johnny Carson (1984) Jack Lemmon (1985) Alan Alda / Jane Fonda / Robin Williams (1986) Chevy Chase / Goldie Hawn / Paul Hogan (1987) Chevy Chase (1988) None (1989) Billy Crystal (1990) Billy Crystal (1991) Billy Crystal (1992) Billy Crystal (1993) Whoopi Goldberg (1994) David Letterman (1995) Whoopi Goldberg (1996) Billy Crystal (1997) Billy Crystal (1998) Whoopi Goldberg (1999) Billy Crystal (2000) Complete list (1927–1940) (1941–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020)

v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (1970–1979) James L. Brooks / Allan Burns for "Support Your Local Mother" (1971) Burt Styler for "Edith's Problem" (1972) Lee Kalcheim / Michael Ross / Bernie West for "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (1973) Treva Silverman for "The Lou and Edie Story" (1974) Stan Daniels / Ed. Weinberger for "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?" (1975) David Lloyd for "Chuckles Bites the Dust" (1976) James L. Brooks / Allan Burns / Stan Daniels / Bob Ellison / David Lloyd / Ed. Weinberger for "The Last Show" (1977) Harve Brosten / Barry Harman / Bob Schiller / Bob Weiskopf for "Cousin Liz"(1978) Complete list (1955–1959) (1960–1969) (1970–1979) (1980–1989) (1990–1999) (2000–2009) (2010–present)

v t e Richard Pryor Albums Richard Pryor Craps (After Hours) That Nigger's Crazy ...Is It Something I Said? Bicentennial Nigger Wanted: Live in Concert Compilations L.A. Jail Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits …And It's Deep Too! The Anthology (1968–1992) Evolution/Revolution TV & Films Live & Smokin' The Richard Pryor Show Live in Concert Live on the Sunset Strip Here and Now Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling I Ain't Dead Yet The Funniest Man Dead or Alive

v t e Mark Twain Prize winners Richard Pryor (1998) · Jonathan Winters (1999) · Carl Reiner (2000) · Whoopi Goldberg (2001) · Bob Newhart (2002) · Lily Tomlin (2003) · Lorne Michaels (2004) · Steve Martin (2005) · Neil Simon (2006) · Billy Crystal (2007) · George Carlin (2008) · Bill Cosby (2009) · Tina Fey (2010) · Will Ferrell (2011) · Ellen DeGeneres (2012)

v t e Stax/Volt Records Major figures Jim Stewart · Estelle Axton · Al Bell · Steve Cropper · Booker T. Jones · Donald "Duck" Dunn · Al Jackson, Jr. · Isaac Hayes · David Porter · Jerry Wexler · Clive Davis Major artists (Atlantic years) Otis Redding · Sam & Dave · Carla Thomas · Rufus Thomas · The Mar-Keys · Booker T. & The MG's · William Bell · Eddie Floyd · Johnnie Taylor · Albert King · The Bar-Kays Major artists (Post-Atlantic) Isaac Hayes · David Porter · Eddie Floyd · Johnnie Taylor · The Rance Allen Group · The Soul Children · The Staple Singers · The Temprees · The Emotions · Mel & Tim · The Bar-Kays · Linda Lyndell · Richard Pryor · Bill Cosby · William Bell · Little Milton · Jesse Jackson · Big Star Modern Stax artists Soulive · Angie Stone · Lalah Hathaway · Leela James · Isaac Hayes  · Leon Ware · N'dambi · Nikka Costa · Teena Marie Related articles Memphis soul · Wattstax · Stax Museum of American Soul Music · Atlantic Records · Union Planters Bank · CBS Records · Fantasy Records · Concord Records

Persondata
Name	Pryor, Richard
Alternative names
Short description	American comedian and actor
Date of birth	December 1, 1940
Place of birth	Peoria, Illinois
Date of death	December 10, 2005
Place of death	Encino, Los Angeles, California