FRANK T. MARTINEZ CITY OF LOS ANGELES Office of the City Clerk CALIFORNIA CITY CLERK Council and Public Services KAREN E. KALFAYAN Room 395, City Hall Executive Officer Los Angeles, CA 90012 Council File Information- (213) 978-1043 General Information- (213) 978-1133 When making inquiries Fax: (213) 978-1040 relative to this matter refer to File No. HELEN GINSBURG ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA Chief, Council and Public Services Division MAYOR 05-2672
December 13, 2005
Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor All Councilmembers All City Departments
RE: DECLARING DECEMBER 16, 2005 AS RICHARD PRYOR DAY IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
At the meeting of the Council held DECEMBER 13, 2005, the following action was taken:
Attached substitute resolution (Wesson - Parks - Perry) adopted in lieu of original resolution X FORTHWITH ...... ·------Mayor concurred ...... ______Ordinance adopted ...... ______Ordinance number ...... ______Publication date ...... ·...... ______Effe.ctive date ...... ______Mayor vetoed ...... ______Mayor approved ...... ______Findings adopted ...... ______
City Clerk vdw steno/052672
AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY- AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER RESOLUTION Richard Pryor Day, December 16, 2005
WHEREAS, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III was born on December 1, 1940, as one of four children who was raised in his grandmother's brothel and overcame many challenges throughout his childhood to become one of the most influential comedians in the history of comedy; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor, at the age of 12, was first introduced to a life of performing and cast by Juliette Whittaker, a supervisor at the Peoria recreational facility, for the local production ofRumplestiltskin. Juliette Whittaker was so impressed by his comic ability that she arranged talent shows to showcase him and continued to influence him throughout his career; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor, in 1966, entered the medium of television with summer shows, such as Rudy Vallee's On Broadway Tonight and Kraft Summer Music Hall, as well as several appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Johnny Carson Show, and the Merv Griffin Show; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor went on to starring in films like The Busy Body with Sid Ceasar, the classic Wild in the Streets, and released his first album, Richard Pryor. More movies followed including Lady Sings the Blues, which earned him strong notice as Billie Holiday's drug-addicted piano player. In 1980, Pryor formed Indigo his own production company and appeared in almost 50 movies including several with Gene Wilder; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor appeared in the autobiographicaiJo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling and played three roles in the movie, Which Way Is Up. In 1983, Pryor was paid an unprecedented amount for a black actor (even more then the film's star) for his role as accomplice to the villain inSuperman III; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor received high accolades for two series: The Richard Pryor Show which contained one of the most talked about show openings in the history oftelevision and the children's showPryor's Place. He has earned industry honors such as the 1982 NATO Entertainer of the Year Award, the 1992 Lifetime Achievement Honoree for the American Comedy Awards, the 1993 CableAce Best Entertainment/Cultural or Informational Special, the 1996 NAACP Hall of Fame Award, and in 1998, was the first recipient of the prestigious annual Mark Twain Humor Prize; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor began writing for television shows includingSanford and Son and the Flip Wilson Show and in 1973 two Lily Tomlin specials, one which earned him both an EMMY and a Writers Guild Award. His first screen writing attempt with Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles continued his success by earning him the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor's visit to Kenya in 1979 was life-changing and resulted in a condemnation of the n-word, which he abandoned in his stage performances thereby attracting death threats and hate mail. As an astute observer of life, he gave voice to such marginal members of the black community as bums and winos. With the classic philosopher Mudbone character, as with all his characters, Pryor did not go for the easy ridicule, but found instead humanity in even the most despicable; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor's stand-up genius has been captured in four feature films and his numerous recordings have earned him two platinum and five gold albums and five Grammy's; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor was credited by Academy Award-winner, Louis Gossett, Jr., as "the single most reason for us making it in this business. He made it possible for us black people to be in this business on equal terms." Composer Quincy Jones called him "a pioneer .... who made us understand the truth about us;" and )
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor, considered by the community " ... as a successful Black man who did not forget where he came from ... " was asked to negotiate a 'peace treaty' and secure the cooperation of the street gangs to improve the community. This meeting is considered to be the first "gang truce" in Los Angeles and lead to Pryor donating $150,000.00 for the purchase and operation of the Sheenway School and Culture Center and which exists today with a building dedicated in Pryor's honor as Rich's Place; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor, sidelined by Multiple Sclerosis, adamantly opposed the use of animals in researching even his disease and that he used his Christmas card to discourage donations to charities that fund such tests and that he supported and was affiliated with only animal rescue and animal rights groups and had just started the nonprofit organization "Pryor's Planet: A Saving Grace for all animals"; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor celebrated his 65th birthday on December I, 2005; and
WHEREAS, Richard Pryor passed away December 10, 2005, and is survived by his wife Jennifer Lee Pryor, Daughters Rain Kindlin, Elizabeth Stordeur, Kelsey Pryor and Sons Richard Pryor, Jr., Steven Pryor and Franklin Mason; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that bythe adoption of this resolution the Council of the City of Los Angeles joins with the Mayor, City Attorney, and City Controller to pay tribute and give thanks to Richard Pryor for his life-long contributions as an cultural icon, and hereby proclaims December 16, 2005 as "Richard Pryor Day" in the City of Los Angeles,
PRESENTED BY:~ fl ~~/ ,- or- Herb J. Wesson, Jr. Councilmember, lOth District
S,..b.s+:fu.-fe.. Me.-r,·""' ADOPTED . in It' e. v.. Df tJ;-~'1', xa.l Me ito 11 DEC 1 3 2DO~:r LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL
DEC 1 3 2°05