Six legendary Richard Pryor albums make digital debut for 75th birthday

Rhino celebrates one of the greatest comedians of all time with the long-awaited digital release of the revolutionary comedy albums Richard Pryor recorded for Warner Bros. Records during the 1970s and 1980s. The albums are available now at all digital download and streaming outlets to coincide with what would have been the late comedian’s 75th birthday December 1. “I am thrilled to celebrate Richard’s upcoming 75th birthday with this great news. A wonderful gift to his fans, old and new alike,” says widow Jennifer Lee Pryor. Pryor forever changed the comedy landscape in the 1970s, when he transformed himself from a non-threatening, middlebrow comic into a controversial, X-rated sensation. He launched a comedy revolution in 1974 with his breakthrough third album, That Nigger’s Crazy. The album went on to earn gold certification, and also won the Grammy® Award for Best Comedic Recording.

Commercial and critical success continued to build over the next two years. During that time, Pryor released …Is It Something I Said? in 1975, which was certified platinum, and Bicentennial Nigger in 1976, which earned gold certification. Both albums won Grammy Awards, which extended Pryor’s winning streak to three consecutive years.

For his next album, the comedian released the double-LP, Wanted/Richard Pryor – Live in Concert in 1978, which features performances recorded during his 1978 concert tour. He returned in 1982 with Live On The Sunset Strip. The seminal recording remains one of Pryor’s most popular, and earned him is fourth Grammy Award. In 1983, Pryor released Here And Now. It was not only his final album with Warner Bros., but also his last officially released stand-up comedy album of newly recorded material.

A digital bundle, The Warner Bros. Albums (1974-1983), featuring all the previously mentioned albums, is also available as is the “best of” compilation The Anthology: 1968-1992. All of these recordings underscore what fans already know: Richard Pryor was the preeminent comic genius of our time. He laid the groundwork for the future of stand-up comedy as he simultaneously changed the rules and raised the bar.