Dick Gregory
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that Dick
Gregory will be honored with the 2,542nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 11:30 a.m.,
Monday, February 2, 2015. The star in the category of Live Theatre/Performance
will be dedicated at 1650 Vine Street near Hollywood & Vine. “We are proud
to honor Dick Gregory with a star on the Walk of Fame during Black History
month. He has given so much to the world with his wisdom through his work in
entertainment,” stated Leron Gubler, President of the Hollywood Chamber of
Commerce and emcee of the ceremonies.
The star ceremony will be streamed live exclusively on www.walkoffame.com
The day after the ceremony the celebration will continue with the Dick Gregory & Friends All Star Tribute
and Toast on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m. at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre, 1615 N. Vine
Street in Hollywood.
Richard Claxton Gregory aka Dick Gregory is a comedian, civil
rights activist, author, recording artist, actor, philosopher and anti-drug
crusader. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Gregory began his career as a comedian while serving in the military in the
mid-1950s. He was drafted in 1954 while attending Southern Illinois University
at Carbondale. After being discharged in 1956, with a desire to perform comedy
professionally, he moved to Chicago.
Gregory attributes the launch of his career to Hugh Hefner, who
watched him perform at Herman Roberts Show Bar. Hefner hired Gregory to work at
the Chicago Playboy Club as a replacement for comedian Professor Irwin Corey.
By 1962, Gregory had become a nationally-known headline performer,
selling out nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances, and
recording popular comedy albums. Gregory, whose style was detached, ironic, and
satirical, gained the attention of audiences with his political and
controversial stand up acts. By being both outspoken and provocative, he became
a household name and opened many doors for Black entertainers.
As an influential American comedian, he has used his voice to
convey to both white and black audiences his message on civil rights. His
social satire helped change the way white Americans perceived black American
comedians since he first performed in the public arena.
By October of 1963, Dick Gregory was one of the highest paid
entertainers in the world. At that time, he answered the call of Medgar Evers
to come to Mississippi to join the movement. His life was forever changed.
Gregory went to Selma, Alabama and spoke for two hours on a public platform two
days before the voter registration drive known as “Freedom Day.” Gregory later
became more involved in struggles for civil rights, activism against the
Vietnam War, economic reform and anti-drug issues and other matters.
In 2000, Gregory was honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington
D.C., by a sold out house with special tributes by Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr.,
Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, Cicely Tyson, Mark Lane, Marion Barry and many
more.
Gregory is listed as No. 82 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100
Greatest Stand-Ups of all time. He has appeared in numerous films including: “Steppin:
The Movie,” “Letter to the President,” “Malcolm X: A Search for Identity,” “In
Remembrance of Martin,” “The Hot Chick,” “Children of the Struggle,” and many
more. He has written 14 books and has 15 comedy albums that contain his stand
up acts and his political commentary.
He has been married to Lillian Gregory since 1959 and on the day
of his star ceremony they will also be celebrating their 56th
wedding anniversary. They have 10 children.
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