March 17, 1977
“Endurance has been the key to success for Richard Pryor, and promoting understanding through laughter has been the link,” Gipson concluded. “Richard Pryor is HOT and from the way it looks, it’s gonna be that way for many more years to come“ (click to view PDF).
Sentinel columnist Gertrude Gipson was a star in her own right. Gipson wrote for the Sentinel for over thirty years, wrote a syndicated column published in 125 black newspapers, and hosted a local radio show called “Hollywood Update.” When she died in 1999, the Sentinel covered her funeral on the front page and praised her for “creating the careers” of many black entertainers. A month later the Sentinel ran a full page collage of photos featuring Gipson with Cab Calloway, the Temptations, Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, James Brown, and other celebrities.
Thank you to Scott Saul for sharing this article. To learn more about Richard Pryor’s life and career, please see Saul's excellent book Becoming Richard Pryor and digital project “Richard Pryor’s Peoria.“