Richard Pryor - Omit the Logic | Storyville.BBC.ZigCOM.mp4

Life & Death of legendary comedian Richard Pryor.

Widely respected for his contribution to the world of stand-up comedy, Pryor’s life was filled with conflict, strife and controversy. He struggled with drug abuse and was married seven times, to five different women. He also suffered multiple heart attacks and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, leaving him wheelchair bound in later life, before his death in 2005.

In one of his most notorious incidents, he set himself on fire in 1980 after taking cocaine while drinking 151proof rum, resulting in burns covering more than half of his body. Nevertheless, he is frequently cited for being both a comedic genius, having won an Emmy, five Grammys and a Writers Guild of America Award; and a major influence on subsequent African American comedians, such as Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan.