Richard Pryor: Stabbing, Shooting, F***ing, Burning, and Freebasing

Disgraceland

Richard Pryor was one of the funniest people who ever lived. He elevated stand-up comedy to an art form. But the real life that informed his stand-up – a life of pool halls, brothels, stabbings, shootings, and lots and lots of cocaine – was a source of constant pain. A pain that he managed with a freebase habit so out of control it nearly killed him before he was even 40 years old.

This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including descriptions of domestic violence and suicide. If you're thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Which comedian from your childhood cracked you up the most? Why? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

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Richard Pryor was one of the funniest people who ever lived. He elevated stand-up comedy to an art form. But the real life that informed his stand-up – a life of pool halls, brothels, stabbings, shootings, and lots and lots of cocaine – was a source of constant pain. A pain that he managed with a freebase habit so out of control it nearly killed him before he was even 40 years old.

This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including descriptions of domestic violence and suicide. If you're thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Which comedian from your childhood cracked you up the most? Why? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER

Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:

Instagram

YouTube

X (formerly Twitter) 

Facebook Fan Group

TikTok

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2025-02-04 29 min Transcript
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