Rudy Ray Moore
Encyclopedia
Rudy Ray Moore was an American
comedian
, musician
, singer, film actor, and film producer
. He was perhaps best known as Dolemite
(the name derived from the mineral dolomite
), the uniquely articulate pimp
from the 1975 film Dolemite
, and its sequel, The Human Tornado
. The persona was developed during his earlier stand-up comedy
records.
, as well as Cleveland, Ohio
, began his entertainment career as an R&B singer and continued singing through his comedy career. He developed an interest in comedy in the Army
after expanding on a singing performance for other servicemen. Moore released many comedy records throughout the 1960s and 1970s, developing a rude and explicit style similar to Redd Foxx
and Richard Pryor
. This kept him off of television and major films, but cultivated an enduring fan base.
Some of Moore's X-Rated comedy records were recorded at his home with personal friends in attendance as the audience.
He appeared on Big Daddy Kane
's 1990 album Taste of Chocolate
and 2 Live Crew
's 1994 album Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4
. He also reprised his Dolemite character in an appearance on Snoop Dogg
's 1999 album No Limit Top Dogg
.
In 2000, Moore starred in Big Money Hustlas
, a movie created by and starring the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse
, in which he played Dolemite for the first time in over 20 years.
In 2006, Moore voice acted in the show Sons of Butcher (TV series)
, as Rudy in season 2.
In 2008, Moore reprised the character Petey Wheatstraw
on the song "I Live For The Funk," which featured Blowfly
and Daniel Jordan. This marked the first time Blowfly and Rudy collaborated on the same record together—and the 30-year anniversary of the movie Petey Wheatstraw and was also the final recording Rudy made before his death.
On October 19, 2008, Moore died of complications from diabetes. He was never married, and his mother survived him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer, film actor, and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He was perhaps best known as Dolemite
Dolemite
Dolemite is a 1975 blaxploitation feature film, and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film and its soundtrack...
(the name derived from the mineral dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
), the uniquely articulate pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
from the 1975 film Dolemite
Dolemite
Dolemite is a 1975 blaxploitation feature film, and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film and its soundtrack...
, and its sequel, The Human Tornado
The Human Tornado
The Human Tornado also known as Dolemite II, a 1976 cult blaxploitation film, was the sequel to Dolemite. It starred Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite and Ernie Hudson as Bo.-Plot:...
. The persona was developed during his earlier stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
records.
Biography
Moore, who was raised in his birthplace of Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, as well as Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, began his entertainment career as an R&B singer and continued singing through his comedy career. He developed an interest in comedy in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
after expanding on a singing performance for other servicemen. Moore released many comedy records throughout the 1960s and 1970s, developing a rude and explicit style similar to Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
and Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
. This kept him off of television and major films, but cultivated an enduring fan base.
Some of Moore's X-Rated comedy records were recorded at his home with personal friends in attendance as the audience.
He appeared on Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
's 1990 album Taste of Chocolate
Taste of Chocolate
Taste of Chocolate is the third album by emcee Big Daddy Kane, released in late 1990 on Cold Chillin' Records. After the success of his first two albums, Long Live the Kane and It's a Big Daddy Thing, Taste of Chocolate became Kane's first album not to reach Gold sales status. The album received...
and 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
's 1994 album Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4
Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4
Back at your Ass for the Nine-4 is the sixth studio album released by rap group 2 Live Crew. It was released on June 8, 1994 for Luke Records and was produced by Mike Fresh, DJ Slice, Professor Griff, DJ Spin Felix Sama & DJ Laz...
. He also reprised his Dolemite character in an appearance on Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's 1999 album No Limit Top Dogg
No Limit Top Dogg
* The Source - Included in The Source's "Top 10 Albums of the Year [1999]."* Rolling Stone - 3 out of 5 - Good - "Snoop's finest work since his debut album...full of seductive party jams that will keep heads bobbing through the summer. Snoop has returned to West Coast G-funk with the help of some...
.
In 2000, Moore starred in Big Money Hustlas
Big Money Hustlas
The film's music was written by Psychopathic Records producer Mike E. Clark. A soundtrack album was released in 2001, and featured new music from the film, in addition to previously released tracks by Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, and the theme to the 1976 film The Human Tornado, performed by...
, a movie created by and starring the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
, in which he played Dolemite for the first time in over 20 years.
In 2006, Moore voice acted in the show Sons of Butcher (TV series)
Sons of Butcher (TV series)
Sons of Butcher is a cartoon based on the band of the same name. The show airs every night at 3 a.m. et/pt on The Detour on Teletoon. It is animated using a variety of programs, put together using Adobe Flash.-Premise:...
, as Rudy in season 2.
In 2008, Moore reprised the character Petey Wheatstraw
Petey Wheatstraw (film)
Petey Wheatstraw aka Petey Wheatstraw, the Devil's Son-In-Law is a Blaxploitation film written by Cliff Roquemore, starring popular Blaxploitation genre comedian Rudy Ray Moore, along with Jimmy Lynch, Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand, and Ebony Wright...
on the song "I Live For The Funk," which featured Blowfly
Blowfly (artist)
Blowfly is the stage name and alternate persona of Clarence Reid , who was a songwriter for many hit R&B acts in the 1960s and 1970s. As Blowfly, he has recorded numerous albums, mostly of sex-based parodies of other songs, as well as original raps themed around sex...
and Daniel Jordan. This marked the first time Blowfly and Rudy collaborated on the same record together—and the 30-year anniversary of the movie Petey Wheatstraw and was also the final recording Rudy made before his death.
On October 19, 2008, Moore died of complications from diabetes. He was never married, and his mother survived him.
Discography
- Below the Belt (1959)
- Beatnik Scene (1962)
- Comedian is Born (1964)
- Let's Come Together (1970, recorded 1967)
- Eat Out More Often (1970)
- This Pussy Belongs To Me
- Dolemite for President (1972)
- Merry Christmas, Baby
- Cockpit
- Return of Dolemite
- Sensuous Black Man
- Zodiac
- I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing
- Jokes by Redd Foxx
- Live in Concert
- The Player—The Hustler
- House Party: Dirty Dozens Vol.1
- The Streaker
- Dolemite Is Another Crazy Nigger
- Sweet Peeter Jeeter
- Turning Point
- Close Encounter of the Sex Kind
- Good-Ole Big Ones
- Hip-Shakin' Papa
- Greatest Hits (1995)
- This Ain't No White Christmas
- Raw, Rude, and Real—More Greatest Hits
- 21st-Century Dolemite (2002)
- Hully Gully Fever
- Genius of Rudy Ray Moore
- "Dolemite For President—Special Edition (2008)"
- "50 Years Of Cussing (2009)"
Filmography
- DolemiteDolemiteDolemite is a 1975 blaxploitation feature film, and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film and its soundtrack...
- The Human TornadoThe Human TornadoThe Human Tornado also known as Dolemite II, a 1976 cult blaxploitation film, was the sequel to Dolemite. It starred Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite and Ernie Hudson as Bo.-Plot:...
- Monkey Hustle
- Petey WheatstrawPetey Wheatstraw (film)Petey Wheatstraw aka Petey Wheatstraw, the Devil's Son-In-Law is a Blaxploitation film written by Cliff Roquemore, starring popular Blaxploitation genre comedian Rudy Ray Moore, along with Jimmy Lynch, Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand, and Ebony Wright...
- Disco GodfatherDisco GodfatherDisco Godfather is a 1979 Action film starring Rudy Ray Moore and Carol Speed. Commonly considered a blaxploitation film, the plot centers on Moore's character, a retired cop, who owns and operates a Disco and tries to shut down the local angel dust dealer after his nephew gets "whacked out" on...
- Rude
- BAPs
- Penitentiary II
- Legend of Dolemite
- Live at Wetlands
- The Great White Hype
- Shaolin DolemiteShaolin DolemiteShaolin Dolemite is a 1999 direct-to-video film starring Rudy Ray Moore and in name, a sequel to Dolemite.The film was created by re-dubbing footage filmed for the 1986 Taiwanese kung fu film Ren zhe da ....
- Big Money HustlasBig Money HustlasThe film's music was written by Psychopathic Records producer Mike E. Clark. A soundtrack album was released in 2001, and featured new music from the film, in addition to previously released tracks by Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, and the theme to the 1976 film The Human Tornado, performed by...
- Dolemite Explosion
- Vampire Assassin
- A Stupid Movie for Jerks
- Li'l Pimp
- The Dolemite Explosion (2007)
- It Came From Trafalgar (2009)
External links
- http://www.myxer.com/MRCOMEDY/ Myxer link: http://www.myxer.com/MRCOMEDY/]
- Dolemite Records
- Rudy Ray Moore's official Web site
- Dolemite.com
- Rudy Ray Moore Record Label
- Zolten, JerryJerry ZoltenJerry Zolten is an American writer and advocate of roots music. He is known as the author of a book tracing the 30-plus year career of the African-American Dixie Hummingbirds gospel group and their influence on both sacred and secular music. Zolten is also known for numerous articles and CD liner...
, "'I Ain't Lyin'!' The Unexpurgated Truth about Rudy Ray Moore." Living Blues # 157, May/June, 2001. - ZZZlist.com 2007 interview with Rudy Ray Moore
- Rudy Ray Moore dies at the age of 81
- MTV Obituary