I love Richard Pryor because he reminds me of my father. Not in the sense that he acts or looks like my father, but rather because of childhood memories. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I remember being woken up by the sounds of laughter. It would come out really loud, and then you could hear it being supressed, because my parents obviously didn't want to wake up the kids. They were hanging out in the living room, having a drink and listening to a Richard Pryor album (of which he owned many--that's all he had, Pryor albums and The Commodores albums), thinking my sister and I were safely away from hearing any "motherfuckers." I sneaked around a corner and watched them for a little bit. It's a very good memory.
I also appreciate his veiws on race. I'm...very, very white. I'm one of the palest white people you've ever seen. It made it that much more funny and confusing when I would point to my dad and say "That's my dad." He was black; he was my step-dad...but he was the only father I knew, so he was always just...dad. My parents, as an interracial couple put up with a lot of shit in the little southwestern Pennsylvania town we lived in...and looking back, at aged 30, I have a lot of respect for them. I think they did really well with us all (1 black brother, 2 white sisters, and a little half-n-halfer.
)My dad died two years ago after a to-do with cancer. I miss him a lot. This is really sappy, and I'm sorry about that, but it's true...when I hear Richard Pryor, or see his act, or really just come across his image anywhere, I think of my dad and remember him sitting on an ugly brown tweed sofa with my mom, with a vodka and citris soda drink in hand, laughing his fucking ass off.
Thanks Richard.
