"To me, and I lived through the 1950's-2005 there's never ever been a comedian, I've ever seen anyways, that is as great as Richie! He was pure gold and made it look effortless! Even if he was really high he could still blaze right through his act always w/ a standing O! The only true original that was anywhere close to R.Pryor in my opinion was ol Rodney Dangerfield! "I'll tell ya!" Each time I saw either 1 of the 4, (add R-Williams & E-Murphy), I'd always have to pause my DVD player/recorder I was cryin from laughin so f'n hard! All 4 of them, every time!" "The 1 area I really give it to Richie was the way he was raised as opposed to say R-Will who had rich parents. Richie was raised by his Gram in a brothel and was pretty outta control wild by 13 yrs old! By 18 he was gettin depressed because he knew he had it in him to get bigtime fame but didn't really know his way around Hollywood etc and if anyones ever lived "Full Circle" it's Pryor! That's why he lit himself on fire trying to end his life! He said word for word the reason he didn't even want to live anymore and proved once again that $100,000,000.oo sure doesn't buy any happiness at all! He said; "I made it outta the ghetto and found the fame & fortune I'd always dreamt of having, have more dough than my great-grandkids could ever spend in their lifetimes! I own beautiful homes, a stable of Ferrari's and such yet all I can do with it all I've accomplished is sit here in this little room and grab my pipe every 5 minutes, everyday gettin deeper into depression! "I didn't care about my family or especially myself so I must be the most muthafuckin stupidest cat on planet earth man!" "Even though I know it's the large amounts of dope I was usin and drinkin enough to kill an elephant "I just couldn't stop! Hell I didn't wanna stop! At that low bottom he just wanted to end it all so proceeded to soak all his body w- 100 proof alcohol and lit himself up! I've been there and it's hell and felt really bad for him but at least it didn't kill him! If he was a "blues guitarist" he'd be the best out there and why he was such a genius comic! He lived it, talked it, felt it deep down and had all the tools ya need to be as great as he was! He had all the real life experiences to draw from onstage and didn't give one shit about what people would think of his vulgar (conservatives say it was anyways) act, he was the very 1st to cross that line and man did it ever work! I always thought Ritchie was a hellova great comedic actor too! But I've always, my whole life, told anyone that was bummed about anything, I'd just say, "Just go home, I'd hand em the 2 DVD's of "Live on Sunset Strip" (1982) and "Live in Concert" (1979) and tell them in 5 minutes you'll feel a lot better but when their over all your problems will magically disappear, and of course it always worked! Richard Pryor to me was always "The Great Healer" cuz nobody could take it to the heights Richie could! They'll never, ever, ever be another Pryor...period! Sorry this is so long but I just signed up and all into him right now! johnnyguit14