Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor, who died Saturday, was profane. But he was profound, an artist who bared his life in all of its pain and found it rich with material.
He lived without apology, no matter that he freebased on cocaine and, in the process, set himself on fire, no matter he went through six wives, no matter that the latter part of his career bore little resemblance to his earlier genius.
The beauty of his comedy came not from his endless obscenities. Anybody can curse. What distinguished Pryor, what has influenced almost every person who considers himself or herself a comedian now, is that he surrounded those profanities with textured stories of his experiences, revealing a deeply flawed yet ultimately humane man, a black man struggling with a racist society, a man who from the very beginning had a problematic relationship with women.
These experiences all made Richard Pryor who he was. They informed his comedy, and Pryor's greatness came from his ability to translate his life into art and his unwillingness to compromise his voice.
To see that voice quietly silenced by the ravages of multiple sclerosis was hard; it seemed unfair.
But a legion of comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock was birthed into being by Pryor. His legacy lies in them.
And though Pryor has slipped into a more peaceful existence, his comedy remains, just as rich now as it was then.
Richard Pryor, your life is calling.