Mudbone (character)

Mudbone is a recurring character in Richard Pryor's stand-up shows. Debuting on the 1975 album ...Is It Something I Said?, Mudbone is easily Pryor's most famous creation^[1] and made his stand-up shows much more than comedy. A wino philosopher born in Tupelo, Mississippi, his character became an instant hit due to his satirical, surreal (and often completely ludicrous) takes on life. While Mudbone's age is not specified, the content of his monologues suggest that he is an ancient, almost immortal person. His "...and it's deep, too!" line in "Mudbone - Little Feets" hints that he is also very well endowed.

His famous monologues usually revolved around his own experiences in life. Famous examples include how he moved from Tupelo to Peoria, Illinois (Pryor's hometown) in a tractor ("746 miles on one tank of gas!"), his brief stint in Hollywood where he auditioned for the lead in King Kong and his humorous adventures shared with his best friend Toodlum.

Perhaps Mudbone's most philosophical and poignant speech was in Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip. During the show, the audience begins to yell "Do Mudbone!" and Pryor reluctantly resurrects the character.^[1] He improvised a bit where he talked more about the mysteries of life rather than his past experiences. He even poked fun at Pryor's infamous free-basing incident. Although Pryor told the audience "This is the last time you'll see Mudbone anywhere", he did occasionally resurrect the character in his final performances before succumbing to multiple sclerosis.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Als, Hilton (September 13, 1999). "A Pryor Love". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1999/09/13/1999_09_13_068_TNY_LIBRY_000019041. Retrieved 2011-04-10.