Paul Mooney, one of the premier stand-up comedians and comedy writers of his time, has reportedly died according to still-developing reports. According to the account of a family member, Mooney passed away from a heart attack in his Oakland home this morning (May 19).
Mooney, real name Paul Gladney, was born on August 4, 1941, in Shreveport, La., but was raised primarily in Oakland, Calif. His stage name is based on the name of the original Scarface actor from the 1930s, Paul Muni.
According to a tweet from journalist Roland Martin, Mooney’s cousin reached out via a phone call and informed Martin of the unfortunate news.
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“Comedic legend Paul Mooney has passed away. His cousin, Rudy Ealy, just called me from Paul’s phone and said he passed away two hours ago after suffering a heart attack at his home in Oakland. He was 79,” Martin tweeted.||
Mooney is credited as one of the writers for the late Richard Pryor and some of his routines and sets. He also has several credits in hit television sitcoms as well.
An official statement from the family has yet to emerge but Martin’s tweet suggests this news came directly from the family.
Reaction to the news is cropping up on Twitter and we’ll update this post through the day as more details emerge.
