Richard Pryor special features never-before-heard standup

SiriusXM will honor the life and legacy of comedian Richard Pryor with three weeks of special programming dedicated to the late star. Starting May 21 on Comedy Greats (Ch. 94), listeners will hear Pryor’s entire discography – all newly remastered for the event – as well as an original audio documentary hosted by Ron Bennington. As part of the tribute, “Richard Pryor: Still Outrageous,” SiriusXM will also exclusively broadcast three recently discovered standup albums, which will be the first time they are available to the public, in addition to rare and never-before-released tracks.

Richard Pryor was a trailblazing comedian who rose to stardom in the 1960s with his provocative standup, and today is widely considered one of the greatest comedians of all time. Throughout his career he won an Emmy Award and five Grammy Awards, and in 1998 became the first-ever recipient of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Beginning May 21, SiriusXM Comedy Greats will take listeners through his entire career, showcasing the growth of his comedic artistry throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. One album will play each day at 9 am ET from May 21 through June 8.

In addition to the albums fans have appreciated for years, now airing with vastly improved audio, SiriusXM will also exclusively broadcast three never-before-heard standup albums from the late comedian, which Pryor’s family recently uncovered in a treasure trove of material kept in his old storage units.

On Friday, May 25 at 9 am ET, SiriusXM will premiere “Live at the Roxy,” which was recorded from the famous West Hollywood nightclub in 1976. The following Friday, June 1, will be the debut of “Live at Casa Comedia,” recorded in 1982 during a three-month residency at the club. The third album, “Live at The Ice House,” features material Pryor was working on before recording the special “Here and Now.”

Friday, June 8 at 9 am ET, marks the debut of an original audio documentary hosted by Ron Bennington. “Richard Pryor: A Life in Comedy” showcases some of the biggest names in standup’s past and present, including Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Joan Rivers, Louie Anderson, Sandra Bernhard, Patrice O’Neal, Jay Mohr, Howie Mandel, and many more, including Pryor’s wife Jennifer, all sharing their insights on his legacy, as well as personal stories about how his comedy influenced their lives and careers. The documentary will premiere on Comedy Greats channel 94 at 9 am ET and re-air on Raw Dog (Ch. 99) at 2 pm ET and Kevin Hart’s LOL Radio (Ch. 96) at 8 pm ET.

“Richard Pryor is an American legend,” said Jack Vaughn, SVP of Comedy Programming, SiriusXM. “He broke down barriers during a tumultuous time in our history, blazing a path for some of today’s biggest stars. We’re proud to honor his brilliance with a three-week tribute, and are thrilled Jennifer has entrusted us with his archives that we can offer exclusively to SiriusXM listeners.”

“I’m always excited to share Richard’s comedy with his fans,” said Jennifer Pryor, Richard’s wife. “When we cut open the box containing this lost footage – literally using bolt cutters to break the lock – I was overjoyed to find all of this new material, and instantly knew we had something special. I’m so glad SiriusXM is paying tribute to the Original King of Comedy and making these albums available to millions of listeners.”