One of the greatest stand-up comedians of all-time. Yet, his activism may be even greater than his comedy work.

He might be the most significant black comic of all-time.

He was the first black to perform and actually be invited to sit down on the couch on the Tonight Show in 1961 (Jack Paar, not Johnny Carson.) This was a big deal in 1961 as they just didn't do things like that. Dick actually turned them down until they said he could sit on the couch and talk. The top black comics at that time weren't to found of that. A new jack coming in and taking the spotlight that veterans rightfully deserved. Redd Foxx, Nipsey Russell, Slappy White, Timmie Rogers, ect were slaving (literally) for years and couldn't get on the Tonight Show or any TV show. But the veterans realized it was for the good of black comedy to succeed in America. Redd Foxx, who was selling millions of party records in the 50s was becoming a household name and was now performing in Las Vegas. Slappy White was now a regular at the Playboy with Hugh Heffner. Nipsey Russell made his first Tonight Show appearance later that year after Dick. Moms Mabley released a top 20 Billboard album. Timmie Rogers was asked to do the Ed Sullivan Show. Just in time for a new crop of black comics to hit the scene just as Dick Gregory and his friends were making themselves known to the comedy world. These would be Bill Cosby, Godfrey Cambridge, Flip Wilson, Rudy Ray Moore and Richard Pryor.

Dick Gregory started his stand up career around 1955. Before comedy (and a small stint in the US Army) he was actually a great track star at Southern Illinois University.

A few years into his comedy fame, he'd start releasing comedy albums. He released 13 in his great years in the 60s and 70s.

At this time he was also very deeply into the civil rights movement. He marched many times, was with MLK in DC for his "I Have a Dream" speech. He was for presidency of the US in 1968.

He's also an acclaimed author. Check out his 1964 book Nigger if you haven't already.

He's also very health conscious. He went on many hunger strikes since the 1960s. He's been selling a weight loss formula since the 1980s.