Comedian Richard Pryor Dead Today at Age 65

Pryor died of a heart attack this morning at a hospital near his home in Encino, California, spokeswoman Karen Finch said in a statement.

Pryor's wife said he died of cardiac arrest at 7:58 a.m. PST after her efforts to resuscitate him failed and after he was taken to a hospital in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino.

"He's been so strong for so many years," Jennifer Pryor told CNN. "He's had this disease (multiple sclerosis) since 1986 ... He's had beyond nine lives. We used to joke he's going to outlive everybody."

"He was an extraordinary man, as you know. He enjoyed life right up until the end. He did not suffer, he went quickly, at the end there was a smile on his face ... he's a very, very, very amazing man and he opened doors to so many people."

Born Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor on December 1, 1940 in Peori, Illinois, he was the first major black stand-up comic to address race in his act.  He found comedic material in the often-harsh realities of African-American life, when black comedians like Bill Cosby avoided race and politics to appeal to white audiences.

Richard Pryor has been a major influence to comedians like Eddie Murphy, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac and Dave Chappelle.

In his later years, Richard Pryor was confined to a wheelchair due to MS. He marked his 65th birthday on December 1.

He is survived by his wife Jennifer Lee Pryor and his six children. Funeral services will be private with a memorial service by invitation.