Dick Gregory Recieve Hollywood Star 

 

Dick Gregory, comedian and civil rights activist, was presented with the 2,542nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.

Born Richard Claxton Gregory in St. Louis, he began his career as a comedian while serving in the military after being drafted in 1954 while attending Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He moved to Chicago to perform comedy professionally after being discharged in 1956. He attributes the launch of his career to famed Playboy Magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who hired Gregory to work at the Chicago Playboy Club. By 1963, Gregory was one of the highest paid entertainers in the world.

 

 

Among his countless career highlights include being honored with special tributes by Coretta Scott King, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes and Cicely Tyson at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C in 2000, appearing in numerous films, writing 14 books and completing 15 comedy albums featuring his stand up acts and political commentary. Gregory is listed as No. 82 on the Comedy Central network's list of "The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time."