Richard Pryor and My Father

Growing up, I never got a chance to really know my father. My folks were divorced when I was 6 and Dad become the “every other weekend” Pop. I don’t believe it was because he didn’t love my brother and I, he was just a bit irresponsible at the time and Mom was the steady breadwinner. He died when I was a freshman in High School.

One of my best memories of my father is comedy. He was the funniest man in my world. He introduced me to comedy the way a boy should be, not with the fluffy bunnies or purple dinosaurs. He did it through Mel Brooks, SCTV, Saturday Night Live (When it was really funny.), and a countless list of comedians throughout the late 70’s and early 80’s.

Where am I going with this? Well, as we’ve all heard, Richard Pryor died earlier this morning from a heart attack.

His passing affects me on a core level. He was one of those comedians that I had watched with my Dad. Richard, in a sense, was a connection to my Dad that I still had. Now, one more piece of that picture is gone for me.

The media is doing it’s recap of Richard’s career, his contributions to modern comedians, his pioneering style, all of the things that made him special to the rest of the world. For me, though, he meant so much more.

Here’s a connection that you’ll probably never hear of again: Richard Pryor and John Candy. John Candy was another of those connections to my father that’s gone.

I guess I’m reaching that age where deaths start to affect me more and remind me of my mortality. Comedians like Richard and John, Icons to modern comedy, but more than that to me, passing really hit me on deep level.

I openly wept for both. Weird, huh.

Anyway, I’m just kind of rambling here. Not my normal posting…so if you were expecting my average rant, I apologize for being so deep. It’s probably the two vicodins I took before starting this.

Thank you Richard, God speed.