Comedian and actor Richard Pryor has died of a heart attack at the age of 65.
The pioneering stand-up comic died at Encino hospital near Los Angeles.
While he appeared in many successful movies, it was his stand-up comedy act that made him a controversial star. Racial satire was a major component of a routine in which nothing was off limits.
He grew up in the Illinois brothel run by his grandmother and was married seven times and had seven children.
After a stint in the army, he pursued a comedy career that landed him spots on the Ed Sullivan and Merv Griffin shows in the 1960s.
Mr Pryor won Grammy Awards for his comedy albums and starred in such films as 'Hear No Evil See No Evil', 'Stir Crazy' and 'Superman III'.
He had been in declining health for years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986.
