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LOS ANGELES - Richard Pryor, the caustic yet perceptive actor-comedian who lived dangerously close to the edge both on stage and off, has died. He was 65.
Pryor died shortly before 8 a.m. of a heart attack at a hospital in the San Fernando Valley, according to his business manager of 14 years Karen Finch.
When contacted Saturday afternoon, Pryor's ex-wife also confirmed the comedian's death.
"We loved him and will miss you," said Flynn Pryor from her Florida home. "I called him boo."
Pryor, whose audacious style influenced an array of stand-up artists, had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.
Regarded early in his career as one of the most foul-mouthed comics in the business, Pryor gained a wide following for his expletive-filled but universal and frequently personal insights into modern life and race relations.
Among those most influenced by his comedy were fellow black artists such as Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and Damon Wayans, as well as Robin Williams, David Letterman and others. Pryor's pioneering success made their roads to stardom all the smoother. He will be missed.