Richard Claxton Gregory has died. A week prior to his death, Gregory was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. with a bacterial infection. He later died at the hospital in Washington, D.C., on August 19, 2017, at the age of 84. The cause was heart failure.
Mr Gregory was an American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, comedian, conspiracy theorist, and occasional actor.
Gregory became a pioneer in stand-up comedy for his "no-holds-barred" sets, in which he mocked bigotry and racism. He primarily performed at segregated clubs to black audiences until 1961, when he became the first black comedian to successfully cross over to white audiences, appearing on television and putting out comedy record albums.