Born in Peoria in 1940 and raised in his grandmother's brothel, Richard Pryor's breakthough style of raunchy comedy made him a hugely popular entertainer from the 1970's into the 1990's. But his career began much earlier -- as a child he was known to be a class clown, and by the early 1960's he was performing stand-up in New York City and on television shows such as "The Merv Griffin Show" and "The Ed Sullivan show".
Not just a stand-up comedian, Pryor was also actor, film and television script writer, and social critic. He co-wrote Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" and many other films and television shows for which he earned an Emmy. He performed in a string of hit movies throughout his career, and released nearly 20 comedy albums, many of which were certified gold or platinum, and five of which earned him a Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
Richard Pryor fought with substance abuse much of his adult life. He suffered a heart attack in 1978 and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986, but continued to act and perform stand-up for many years. In 2005, Pryor died of a heart attack while in Los Angeles.
In honor of Richard Pryor, local artist Preston Jackson was commissioned to create a life-sized bronze statue of the entertainer. The statue, named "Richard Pryor: More than Just a Comedian", was unveiled on May 3, 2015.
Note: The cache container is *not* on the statue or its base.