RIP
Comedy legend Richard Pryor died of a heart attack Saturday morning at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 65. Pryor, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986, first gained fame as a profane stand-up performer whose edgy, freewheeling style and personal take on racial inequality influenced an entire generation of comedians, including Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Robin Williams. In the '70s and '80s, he starred in hit films such as Stir Crazy and Silver Streak in addition to writing for TV shows and movies like Sanford and Son and Blazing Saddles. In the early '80s, he also battled drug addiction, which he referenced onstage and in his autobiographical film, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
