Jokes My Father Never Taught Me by Rain Pryor

This is about the life and times of Rain Pryor, one of the children of comedian Richard Pryor. She tells a candid story of growing up with a Jewish mother and black father. It wasn’t easy. Born in 1969 and growing up in the 70’s she faced racial connotations from adults and children alike. She also grew up with a set of parents that didn’t hold anything back from her. They cussed in presence and also when speaking directly to her. She had a well rounded word bank at the young age of four. At least Rain decided that she would do the opposite with her children then how her parents raised her – at least, the way Richard raised her. All in all, she dearly loved her father. Through all his issues, girlfriends, wives, drugs and illness, she never turned away from her father. She understood his upbringing had a lot to do with his ways and means. It’s a well known fact that he grew up in a whorehouse owned by his grandmother who also raised him. When his grandmother died, Richard’s world changed. According to Rain, this was the beginning of his downfall.

I’ve always known Richard Pryor to be an X-rated comic, but he didn’t start out that way. During his early years, he was compared to Bill Cosby; however he wanted to be known for himself, thus the transformation of talking about things that others wouldn’t want to talk about – race relations, sex, and drugs. He did open the way for the comics of today and also had a good acting career. Unfortunately, when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis his health deteriorated slowly, along with his career. Richard Pryor died in 2005 at the age of 65.

Rain went on the become an accomplished actor, starring in the television show Head of the Class alongside Robin Givens (the former Mrs. Mike Tyson) and Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati). She became an actor on her own name and is still acting today.

This book was published in 2006 and at the time Rain Pryor was currently starring in her one-woman show titled Fried Chicken and Latkas.