Obit: comic/activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017)

Subject: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: Greg F.
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 11:07 AM

Dick Gregory, the pioneering standup comedian and civil rights activist who made his advocacy work a key component of his on-stage persona, died Saturday night in Washington, D.C. He was 84.

"Love will always be triumphant over hate," Gregory wrote. "I have seen progress like most cannot appreciate because they were not there to bear witness. … The reality is far from perfect, but profoundly better than what daily reality was for my generation."

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: Will Fly
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 11:12 AM

RIP. He's not often mentioned these days in the history of satire, but was very influential in the 1960s - sharp, to the point, and one of the first black satirical comedians. I always remember a clip of him talking in a BBC2 film called "Blues Night", where he was talking wittily and eloquently about black life and its trials in Chicago. A great man.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 11:23 AM

I still have a vinyl album of his on Vee-Jay "Running for President".

The final line of the sleeve notes says "Dick Gregory for President? He would get a lot of votes"

If only! We could certainly do with someone like him right now.

I'll be giving it a spin later on and raising a glass in his memory.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 11:32 AM

Dick Gregory at IMDb shows a lot of his early appearances (scroll down to the "self" listings). I saw him on David Frost, Johnny Carson, and others. I see he was even on the Jack Paar show - if you know anything about Paar, then this isn't a surprise. Those programs were before my time, but my parents would have been watching.

RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: StephenH
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 01:05 PM

I remember, as a teenager, being astonished by his frank and biting satire. One quote of his that I remember concerned racism in the South and North:
"In the South, they don't care how close you get, as long as you don't get too big,and in the North, they don't care how big you get as long as you don't get too close."

Also, he said in reference to churches worried about dwindling attendance that all they had to do was put tanks in front of a church and tell young people that they couldn't go in.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: fat B****rd
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 02:43 PM

Strange. For whatever reason a couple of days ago I was chuckling to myself about Mr. Gregory's remark that when lavatories were desegrated in the USA it destroyed the biggest myth that his people had going for them!
RIP Mr. Gregory

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory
From: keberoxu
Date: 20 Aug 17 - 03:14 PM

I remember Dick Gregory promoting radical changes in diet and nutrition, long before they were the fashion. He was all about being healthy, at that point, not about competing with others. Small wonder he lived to be so old and in reasonable health.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 03:40 AM

I remember enjoying reading Dick's autobiography - controversial entitlrd -"Nigger".
Years later, I came across it on a London street market bookstall and wanted to buy it.
Unfortunately, it was out of reach, and the stall was owned by a big black bloke.
I pointed at the book and said that I wanted it."Which book?" he asked .( I wasn't going to name the titlle!), and do I began describing its location but couldn't seem to direct the owner to it.
I often wondered, if the stall holder might have been teasing me. I somehow managed to get the book without saying" the word".
Anyway, it's a very good read.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 07:00 PM

On the news, they said
that death was from an aortic aneurysm.
I guess there are worse ways to go.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: GUEST,pauperback
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 09:44 PM

Probably looked death in the face
As often as most folks look
In their mirrors, ya know.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Aug 17 - 09:47 PM

http://comedyhype.com/dick-gregorys-nephew-tour-mate-mark-gregory-writes-open-letter/ 
R.I.P. Old Man good inning

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: Elmore
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 11:33 AM

Was lucky to have seen him perform in person many years ago. Always enjoyed his work.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: Elmore
Date: 24 Aug 17 - 11:58 AM

Just found out Professor Irwin Corey [another comic -jro-] died in February, age 102. I didn't even know he was sick.

Subject: RE: Obit: comic/activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Aug 17 - 06:26 PM

However.

Subject: RE: Obit: comic/activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: Elmore
Date: 28 Aug 17 - 01:46 PM

Exactly.

Subject: RE: Obit: comic/activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
From: Donuel
Date: 17 Sep 17 - 02:54 PM

The funeral for Dick Gregory was today. A memorial parade is this Sunday afternoon.

Attendees included Stevie Wonder, Farrakhan, Bill Cosby, Mayor of DC, fellow comedians and politicians.

His homegoing service is streaming live https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/09/15/dick-gregory-celebration-of-life-homegoing-service/