Joe Rogan had one of the most amazing experiences as a child thanks to Richard Pryor. The American comedian came out with the movie Live on the Sunset Strip back in 1982. Rogan’s parents took him to watch the movie live in the theater, and to his luck, Pryor himself was performing.
But why are we talking about this? Something that happened over 40 years ago? It’s because it shaped Rogan’s childhood and his appetite for standup comedy, and he wanted to pursue it when he grew older. If it weren’t for Pryor, the UFC may never have seen Rogan.
It all came about in Rogan’s latest podcast episode on YouTube, when he brought rockstar Bono, lead vocalist of the band U2.
During the podcast, Bono asked Rogan what sparked his interest in comedy. Without hesitation, Rogan recalled that moment from his childhood.
“It was Richard Pryor, he performed, he did a concert special in the theatre and I think it’s his greatest performance,” the JRE host said.
I had a great time talking to Bono, and Marshall got a cuddle session with his favorite rock star.
Episode available now on @spotify and everywhere else. https://t.co/PwivttwOgc pic.twitter.com/aa7HkWOqnh— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) May 30, 2025
He then explained what he felt and saw during the performance, “I was laughing so hard, and I remember very clearly, looking around at all these people, and they were falling out of their chairs laughing.”
The performance made Rogan realize something, “I remember all the funny movies that I’d seen, like stripes, all the great comedies…Nothing compared to this, and this guy’s just talking.”
Young Rogan could not comprehend how one man with a mic could make so many people feel this way.
Thus started his lifelong obsession with Pryor and all things comedy. Unbeknownst to Rogan at that moment, it would go on to become a very integral part of his life.
Rogan reveals when he decided to pursue Stand-Up
Although Rogan was obsessed with Pryor and various other comics, it wasn’t something he had thought about doing himself. He was a fan of the art, just as someone is a fan of Rock music or Pop culture.
Bono then went on to name some of the comedians he thought were outstanding, such as Robbin Williams and Tommy Tiernan. And it got Rogan thinking, “I never had any aspirations of comedy whatsoever when I was young. I just loved it as a fan.”
So what changed his mind? What made him want to do comedy? Well, it was none other than Samuel Burl Kinison, another American stand-up comedian. “I saw Kenison, and I think that was the first moment where I went, ‘Oh this is comedy too?’ Wow.”
What set Kinison apart was that he said things other people were too scared to say out loud. His jokes were sometimes vulgar and offensive, but that’s what got Rogan hooked, the unfiltered aspect of it. He got hooked on to this kind of comedy and Kinison’s signature ‘scream’.
Notably, comedy is what got Rogan cast on the ’90s hit sitcom, NewsRadio. Fame would follow the JRE host as he would march into Fear Factor as a host and eventually be approached by Dana White to call UFC fights in 1997.
In the years since, Rogan has also been a regular at comedy clubs, and since moving to Texas during the pandemic, has even started one of his own, housing younger talents, and performing when it suits him.
