Star Facts
  • Category Live Performance

    Address 1650 Vine Street

    Ceremony date 02/02/2015

About
Dick Gregory
Born:
1932-10-12,
St. Louis,
MO,
USA
Death Date:
2017-08-19
Addition Websites

Dick Gregory

In memory of comedic icon and Walk of Famer Dick Gregory, flowers were placed on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, August 21, 2017 at 12:30 PM PDT. The star in category of Live Performance is located at 1650 Vine Street. “The world needs more Dick Gregories! Our thoughts are with his family at the time.” Leron Gubler, President & CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce signed the card on behalf of the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

ENTERTAINER DICK GREGORY HONORED WITH
STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

Watch Dick Gregory Walk of Fame Star ceremony below.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce proudly honored Dick Gregory today Monday, February 2, 2015 with the 2,542nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star in the category of Live Theatre/Performance was dedicated at 1650 Vine Street near Hollywood & Vine. “We are proud to honor Dick Gregory with a star on the Walk of Fame during Black History month. He has given so much to the world with his wisdom through his work in entertainment,” stated Leron Gubler, President of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and emcee of the ceremonies.

Guest speakers Dr. Faye Williams, Esq. and Tommy Davidson were on hand to help unveil the star. Celebrities in attendance were Nick Cannon, Louis Gossett Jr., George Lopez, Denise Nicholas, Rob Schneider, Pauly Perrette, and Stevie Wonder. The star ceremony was streamed live exclusively on www.walkoffame.com

The day after the ceremony the celebration continued with the Dick Gregory & Friends All Star Tribute and Toast on Tuesday, February 3, at 8:00 p.m. at the Ricardo MontalbanTheatre,1615 N. Vine Street in Hollywood.

Richard Claxton Gregory aka Dick Gregory is a comedian, civil rights activist, author, recording artist, actor, philosopher and anti-drug crusader. He is a native St. Louis, Missouri.  He was drafted into the army in 1954.  After being discharged in 1956, with a desire to perform comedy professionally, he moved to Chicago.

Gregory attributes the launch of his career to Hugh Hefner, who watched him perform at Herman Roberts Show Bar. Hefner hired Gregory to work at the Chicago Playboy Club.

By 1962, Gregory had become a nationally-known headline performer, selling out nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances, and recording popular comedy albums. Gregory, whose style was detached, ironic, and satirical, gained the attention of audiences with his political and controversial stand up acts. By being both outspoken and provocative, he became a household name and opened many doors for Black entertainers.

As an influential American comedian, he has used his voice to convey to both white and black audiences his message on civil rights. His social satire helped change the way white Americans perceived black American comedians since he first performed in the public arena.

In October of 1963,  he answered the call of Medgar Evers. His life was forever changed.  Gregory went to Selma, Alabama and spoke for two hours on a public platform two days before the voter registration drive known as “Freedom Day.” Gregory later became more involved in struggles for civil rights, activism against the Vietnam War, economic reform and anti-drug issues.  

In 2000, Gregory was honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., by a sold out house with special tributes by Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr., Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, Cicely Tyson, Mark Lane, Marion Barry and many more.

Gregory is listed as No. 82 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of all time. He has appeared in numerous films including: “Steppin: The Movie,” “Letter to the President,” “Malcolm X: A Search for Identity,” “In Remembrance of Martin,” “The Hot Chick,” “Children of the Struggle,” and many more. He has written 14 books and has 15 comedy albums that contain his stand up acts and his political commentary.

He has been married to Lillian Gregory since 1959 and on the day of his star ceremony they will also be celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary. They have 10 children.

Celebrities, politicians and statesmen alike from the Kennedy family to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Marlon Brando sought Gregory’s wisdom and counsel; many still do so today.

 

 

Tweet It: Hollywood Chamber to honor Dick Gregory with star on #hollywoodwalkoffame on 2/2 www.walkoffame.com

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME www.WalkOfFame.com

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an internationally-recognized Hollywood icon. With approximately 24 star ceremonies annually broadcast around the world, the constant reinforcement provided to the public has made the Walk of Fame a top visitor attraction. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to add stars on the Walk of Fame as the representative of the City of Los Angeles. The Walk of Fame is a tribute to all of those who worked diligently to develop the concept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction. The Walk of Fame is open to the public. No paid admission or assigned seating at star ceremonies. It is understood that the cost of installing a star on the Walk of Fame upon approval is $30,000 and the sponsor of the nominee accepts the responsibility for arranging for payment to the Hollywood Historic Trust, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation. The funds are used to pay for the creation/installation of the star and ceremony, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame. The Official Hollywood Walk of Fame App is now available in the iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/official-hollywood-walk-fame/id725209617?mt=8.
The Android version will premiere later this year.

 

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign are registered trademarks of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

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