Remembering Richard Pryor

[Roman]

As we honor Jack's memory with this wonderful website, we should also remember the great comedians who followed Jack. Richard Pryor, who died yesterday, was the most influential and important comedian of the past 25 years. Richard Pryor brought an honesty and freshness to his comedy that Jack certainly would have appreciated. While Jack never opened himself to his audience in the way that Pryor did, Jack's influence is clearly visible in the very natural way that Richard connected with his audience. Pryor never talked down to his audience or sought to hide his faults. He, like Jack, was one of us and, like Jack, he sought to use his humor to uplift rather than denigrate. Pryor, like Jack, left us wanting more. And, like Jack, Richard Pryor will be remembered long after his passing.