"Burnin' Up" - Richard Pryor

On June 9, 1980, comedian Richard Pryor set himself on fire while free-basing cocaine and drinking 151-proof rum. Pryor ran down his street in Northridge, Calif., until subdued by police. His daughter said her father was in a drug-induced psychosis and poured rum over his body and set himself on fire.
Pryor, then 39, was given a 1-in-3 chance to live, but he survived and continued to do stand-up.
During his 1982 comedy show, the street-wise comedian joked that the fire was caused by dunking a cookie into a glass of low-fat and pasteurized milk.
At the end of the show, he poked fun at people who told jokes about it by waving a lit match and saying, "What's this? It's Richard Pryor running down the street."
Pryor died in 2005. Comedy Central listed him as No. 1 on its list of all time greatest stand-up comedians.

[@quagmire1130]

"Put some butter on him and say that's it" 😭

[@brettbewley5798]

"And if you do, I'll bite you" Fucking kills me

[@josephmokobake3882]

You can feel the pain in his voice.

[@redrum0929]

He was in fact teary when he finished. Reliving the pain.

[@emilyspector2728]

You can. That's part of his genius.

[@SevenEonXeon]

I saw Richard Pryor soon after the burn incident he did not do this he said "I know watcha all been saying about me" he lit a match moved it up and said whats this Richard Pryor running down the street.. he was the opener for the Isley Brothers ..such a great night.

[@billybobtexas]

You can feel the audience go in to “OH NO” reaction once they realized how painful it was. What a hilarious but heart wrenching deal. Can’t imagine.

[@general5886]

RIP TO THE 🐐! THE MAN WAS A COMEDIC GENIUS

[@JerseyBobby1982]

“Don’t wash me no more”. I died! Lmao

[@skydaddy2426]

As someone who went through this it's by far the funniest thing ever AFTER the trama is done lol.

[@brandiguarino1778]

OMG! His comedy is still hilarious

[@ecooke75]

The funniest man that has ever existed.

[@LeChina]

Dave >

[@WitheringZealot]

@@LeChina New Dave isn't that great. Old Dave is Amazing, yes He's funny but definitely overrated. Aries spears is funnier than dave as well as Bernie Mac.

[@ecooke75]

@@LeChina I love Dave. I'm going to guess you are in your mid 20s to early thirties. Pryor is definitely better than Dave. Eddie is better than Chappelle. Red Foxx is better than Chappelle. Ask him, he will tell you the same.

[@GodyP]

@@WitheringZealot maybe Bernie definitely not Aries tho

[@WitheringZealot]

@@ecooke75 Pause on Eddie. I watched delerious 4 times.. i tried man but he's like an early kevin hart. Not funny. Movies he's god damn funny, stand up Na.

[@exohexoh3948]

Anyone else see that tear drop when he was doubled over? Poor guy was reliving it all over again

[@rgpdining9728]

brutal honesty

[@___swiz___999]

This man had the audience 🤣🤣🤣💀

[@jessewilson9782]

RICHARD PRYOR IS THE FUNNIEST EVER 💯🏆

[@HOTD108_]

Wow for someone who had sevre burns to 50% of his body he looks great.

[@SaltyChip]

Crack will do that from time to time.

[@ccoleman1978]

@@SaltyChip Yeah we all asked your mother about that..

[@SaltyChip]

@@ccoleman1978 anyone willing to ask a mother about crack is, he himself, looking for the rock

[@mikecorleon4272]

It's called money. Be broke and have the same accident. You're gonna be unrecognizable after. Doctors r gonna say they did the best they could. Capitalism

[@koopmalverde6486]

@@mikecorleon4272 greatest system in the world.

[@JediPhoenix1976]

1:51 and I'm laughing so hard that my kid wants to know what's going on, thankfully he's old enough for me to show him. 🤣🤣🤣

[@supernovaquarius]

😂😂😂😂 don't wash me no mo...

[@scubaguy007]

I'm sitting in the Grady hospital burn unit listening to this with 2nd degree burns on my thigh. I am so thanking God I didn't burn my dick! This man speaks truth.

[@BLUENOSEDANNY]

God bless ur peepee

[@MrEnvisible]

had 2nd degrees this is hilarious and true!!!😂😂😂🔥

[@D-throne]

Of all the injuries I've had, burn wounds are by far the most painful to recover from. The actual wound is sore af but the long and painful recovery will break your spirit entirely. Now some 20 years later I like my scares. They show a life lived.

[@rightwingreactionary]

Do your scares scare you, though?

[@nikicarrie4071]

❤️🙏🏽

[@kubobetterrelax7435]

That's a great mindset bro

[@BURRfield20]

@@rightwingreactionary yeah man i got a ghost shape on my stomach, name is Casper

[@samsneadd]

I felt that I am literally holding my chair as he describes the pain

[@markprice1647]

He is an absolute comedy genius to make that stuff so funny. He is pure comedy class😁❤️❤️😵🤔😭😭

[@BossLawna]

That smart elek fella said " I smoke rock." and I was thinking he ain't no Richard Pryor. Thank you Richard Pryor!!! 😎

[@DS-ev4xb]

You can tell Martin took from this when he was discussing waking up from his coma. Very similar.

[@SaltyChip]

After I had my ankle and shin set by the doctor while awake for over 15 mins. Afterwards I was almost in shock how much worse that was than actually breaking it in the first place and I wasn’t gonna let anyone touch me. I felt similar to him

[@christophermelton9625]

I had pins in my ankle by the surgeon and afterwards it was a painful recovery

[@SaltyChip]

@@christophermelton9625 ya that pressure on the break is intense that first week to 10 days. Felt much better when elevated.

[@americanshyster]

The GOAT!

[@dwaynewingate893]

The best this man was the best

[@LGKids]

I didn’t know that.......as only Richard Pryor could say it! Lol! Peace!

[@scottyp1303]

What's the difference between Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson? Pryor was burned by coke and Jackson was burned by Pepsi

[@jasonrighteous4457]

I’ll be honest, I smoke crack for about six months of my life and it was horrible. Addiction is always been a problem in my family and with me and thank God and God only that I murdered that addiction

[@mitchellshaw7739]

IM ON FIRE AY THATS WHAT RICHARD PRYOR SAY

[@PianoScenesMoviesandSeries]

It’s a funny bit, but also so extremely sad, because my god is it heartbreaking to hear him reliving the nightmare and pain of the burn washing.😢

[@teslaedison6236]

Like when the dentist jams that metal pick down into your cavity and asks you if you can feel it

[@treym3652]

RICHARD PRYOR IS THE FUNNYlEST EVER 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@kevinpalmer4047]

The funnest man EVER! FACT

[@rickyalvarez5903]

Dave who?

[@hollo500]

I don't understand this crowd. I have watched this many times and it makes me cry, when he describes his pain.

[@mrt445]

Were they not supposed to laugh.

[@hollo500]

@@mrt445 comedy and despair are closely related

[@dwaynesbadchemicals]

It’s because he was a professional. That’s why.

[@billybobtexas]

You can hear the hesitancy in the crowd. Right at the end you realize how quiet they really were.

[@KES_Portfolio]

When your nerves wake up after a surgery😢💪🏽

[@orlandoyero7151]

GOAT

[@alcoholically4280]

I can’t imagine how painful it already would be to be a burn victim in recovery, but then you gotta shower too?? Oooo that was hell for a good week or 2

[@diannehill492]

HE WAS A FUNNY GUY

[@DODGERS-br8tf]

Hahahahaha omg I’m rolling my ass off

[@jonathanjollimore4794]

We all make our own traps I know this well but laugh at it don't cry.

[@Wolfsbane909]

Pyor be the only one that i know that burned himself while free basing

[@robinrevty7194]

Totally get it yucky

[@ap5933]

been there, they scrape old tissue, it hurts but necessary..motorcycle

[@ap5933]

You ever ride a motorcycle. In shorts. Let your leg touch the exhaust pipe. It takes a SECOND. 🤣 funny now.

[@helenbestman5338]

Money buys the best skin graft. He looks awesome.

[@sairentoaudio]

damn I can usually laugh at something dark, but this had me cringing a bit.

[@Henny2995]

Damn I didn't know they had colors in the 1800 I thought it came out in 1950's

[@vardellsfolly5200]

Σo, once Richie felt the Darth Vader experience and he survived. HE WAS BADASS!!

[@williamroyt1296]

I know a little of this got burned on my back and legs at work, the worst is blanging , I spelled it wrong, it were you go like every 5 to 7 days they re do your bandages and then the scrape all blisters off then clean it then put then put the silver something cream on the burns than rewrap the burns, they’ll do that till no more blisters come up and just skin is coming back. My burn were over 300 degree steam and water. I been , shot, be cut, and a minor stab wound. That was minor pain compared to being burn , I’d never wish it even on a enemy

[@tomstroup8338]

G.O.A.T

[@jeffreywebb7932]

😬😬😬😬So real

[@rickyalvarez5903]

Richard Pryor is the G.O.A.T. Dave who?

[@rickyalvarez5903]

@dev stuff Talking about everyone calling Dave Chappelle G.O.A.T. Simmer Down there Sparky.

[@cortilusgrant7675]

Rejoice rest He rose again 🌹🌚👍okay bye

[@christianlopezhn]

Here after Will Smith smacked Chris Brown for joking about his wife's hair.

[@TheRealJulesyP]

Rogan and Freddie Gibbs sent me

[@imtheone8307]

:”DON’T … DON’T WASH ME NO MORE” Me : “Laughing kinda HARD” :”IF YOU WASH ME AGAIN I’LL BITE YOU” Me: “ already Dead “ What?!! I.AM.DEAD.

[@mito88]

voice sounds like chappelle... or chappelle sounds like him

[@TinkerTailorSoldier1]

Seeing how he is older…

[@anthonystewart9023]

Wrong answer

[@luisbranko.]

This is actually pretty sad.

[@ethelesparza2127]

!!!

[@1FatHappyBirthday]

Very disturbing watching the audience clap for a very disturbed man. You dismiss it because he makes you laugh.

[@dspock]

Nnnno. Nnnnno.

[@BeefSupreme-vk9sz]

How is this funny? 😮

[@yama5182]

😭😭😣😣!!

[@iamthem.a.n.middleagednerd1053]

I never found Pryor or Carlin that funny. Rodney was my guy for years until I discovered Norm. To me, Norm Macdonald was never not funny for an instant. I missed my chance to meet him when he came to Tulsa a few years back.

[@MPPharaoh]

You coulda said all this shit on norm video

[@richintalent]

Been there, except it was hot grease in my case. A deep fryer tipped over and spilled 400° grease on my left arm.

[@SHIZZLE71]

Oh lord

[@jdahighroller9389]

I laughed at first then it dawned you may be serious. I cant imagine the constant pain

[@SHIZZLE71]

Do u have permanent burns?

[@richintalent]

@@SHIZZLE71 permanent scars

[@SHIZZLE71]

@@richintalent ouch. Sorry mate