Richard Pryor Statue Unveiling This Weekend In Peoria
Richard Pryor will be honored in his hometown with the unveiling of his statue this weekend. The city of Peoria, Illinois and the African-American Hall of Fame will officially dedicate the larger-than-life bronze sculpture titled “Richard Pryor – More than just a Comedian” on Sunday, May 3rd.
The effort to complete the statue has been going on for years. Last November, a fund-raising benefit performance called “A Night For Richard” was held at the Peoria Civic Center. It was organized by and starred George Lopez and featured comedy from Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, Eddie Griffin and Mike Epps who has been cast to play Richard Pryor in the upcoming Lee Daniels biopic of the legendary comedian.
According to TheWhiskeyCity.com, the statue created by renown sculptor Preston Jackson, will be placed in the downtown area of Washington and State, in the new Warehouse District in Peoria. The statue will be across the street from the empty lot where the Hotel Lee once was. It was a location used in the filming of “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling”, the semi-autobiographical film starring Richard Pryor.
The official unveiling of “Richard Pryor – More than just a Comedian” is this Sunday, May 3rd at Washington Street and State Street at 3pm.
Here’s where the Richard Pryor statue will stand in Peoria, Illinois.
