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Today, Black comedians are among the most celebrated and widely recognized names in the entertainment industry – but it wasn’t always that way. Just a few decades ago, it was rare for People of Color to see themselves represented on TV, but all that changed thanks to the work of Keenen Wayans. The 66-year-old comes from a family of funny (and talented) people , including siblings Damon, Kim, Shawn and Marlon. While he got into Tuskegee University on an engineering scholarship , Wayans dropped out one semester before graduating to focus on comedy. After moving to California and learning the tricks of the trade from Robert Townsend, the Harlem native never looked back. For Almost 45 Years, Keenen Wayans Has Been A Pioneer In Black Comedy (Photo by Pool DENIZE/PELLETIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) Keenen Wayans was in his early 20s when he headed out west, but it didn’t take long for him to find work. By 1982 he was making appearances on the hit TV series Cheers ; this was followed...
In his lifetime, Richard Pryor was a comedy legend. Though his groundbreaking eponymous sketch show only lasted for four episodes in the 1970s, it went on to pave the way for such future sketch shows as “In Living Color” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” But even though NBC didn’t have the foresight to give the controversial comedian his flowers in his heyday, Richard Pryor taught a master class with each of his standup specials. A straight line, in fact, can be drawn from Pryor’s 1979 classic “Live in Concert” (which can be seen on Netflix now) and Eddie Murphy’s 1987 legendary stand-up comedy film, “Raw.” Any comedian, Black or white, worth his or her mettle cites Richard Pryor as an inspiration for their career, if not the confidence to get up in front of a live studio audience every night. It’s then, perhaps, not surprising that upon Pryor’s death in 2005, he left behind a $40 million net worth (per Celebrity Net Worth) — a net worth which his seven children, today, enjoy and...
When it comes to show business families, few — if any — have had an impact on the pop culture zeitgeist as the Wayans family. The Wayans family is an American show business family that has been delighting audiences for generations. Originally coming to prominence in the late 1980s, today’s members are comprised of a diverse group of comedians, actors and actresses, comedy writers, and script doctors. But none of their careers would be possible without the groundbreaking work of the original five trailblazers in the family. The ten original Wayans family members are brothers Dwayne, Keenen, Damon, Shawn, and Marlon; and sisters Kim, Elvira, Diedre, Vonnie, and Nadia. Of the ten “first generation” children, only five — Keenen, Damon, Kim, Shawn, and Marlon — went into the entertainment industry. But even the five “first generation” children that didn’t go into the entertainment industry were influenced by their more famous siblings, so much so that some of their children followed in...
Though Bob Marley’s life was cut too short too soon, the Marley family is still maintaining his legacy. Regardless of your opinion on Bob Marley’s music while he was alive, the fact is, no Jamaican artist has done more to bring reggae music into the mainstream than Robert Nesta Marley. His contributions to both rock music and reggae music were so profound that, according to Forbes Magazine, the Marley family estate generated an estimated $23 million in 2018 off of official Bob Marley licensed materials alone . In 2020, Bob Marley was the eighth-highest paid dead celebrity, according to Forbes. And according to Cheatsheet, the Marley empire is said to be worth more than $500 million altogether. “There are millions of dollars worth of unauthorized products using Marley’s likeness. Between the authorized and unauthorized licensing fees, there is reportedly $500 million of revenue annually,” according to the outlet. As Rolling Stone reported in 2015, the Marleys successfully sued a...
The Wayans family is an American show business family that has been delighting audiences for generations. Originally coming to prominence in the late 1980s, today’s members are comprised of a diverse group of comedians, actors and actresses, comedy writers, and script doctors. Chaunté Wayans — whose mother, Elvira, wasn’t as prominent in the entertainment industry as the rest of the Wayans family — is best known for appearing on MTV’s “Wild N’Out.” Meanwhile, Damon Wayans Jr. — whose father, Damon Wayans Sr., was a groundbreaking comedian — has had starring roles on such mainstream shows as “New Girl.” But none of their careers would be possible without the groundbreaking work of the original five: Keenan Ivory, Damon, Kim, Marlon, and Shawn. The actual family, though, consists of ten siblings — helmed by Howell Stouten Wayans, a supermarket manager, and his homemaker late wife, Elvira — but only five of them are in the entertainment industry today. Keenan Ivory Wayans is at the...