RICHARD PRYOR R.I.P.

Sad news about the passing of comedian Richard Pryor of a heart attack at age 65.He had lived with multiple sclerosis for quite a few years now.I will always remember getting cassettes of Richard Pryor that were passed around amongst friends.Listening at my parents home as a teenager hoping my parents couldn't hear anything as he was quite colourful and upfront with some of his use of the english language.He really could tell a story though, with his exceptional timing and with a real jazz musicians sense of the absurd, he became the benchmark for us to judge not just all black comedians but any standup comedian.His humourous observations of life's crazy moments were always spot on for me.Most young black kids growing up could recite heaps of his material and would do so frequently in the late 70s to the early 80s.The young Eddie murphy would build the earlier part of his career on copying Pryor. This summer I had bought his autobiography "Pryor convictions and other life sentences"plus the DVD of some of his early shows and will enjoy watching them over the coming years.Richard Pryor Rest in Peace.