Dave Chappelle honors Charlie Murphy, who died at 57

July 18, 2024

Charlie Murphy, while the older brother of the much more famous Eddie Murphy, was a comedian, actor and writer in his own right.

He had performed for years on stages across the country, wrote movies and offered his unique voice to animated shows. But his breakout moment for pop culture came during Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Central series.

Murphy, who died Wednesday at the age of 57 from leukemia, famously recounted stories of crossing paths with superstar entertainers including Prince and Rick James in the recurring sketch “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories.”

Chappelle paid tribute to Murphy during a John Mayer concert Wednesday night in Columbus, Ohio. “Today, I got some terrible news. My good friend, Charlie Murphy passed away this morning, and everybody in comedy is heartbroken,” Chappelle told the crowd as he joined Mayer on stage at one point in the concert.

Mayer and Chappelle both remembered a classic Murphy line from the “True Hollywood Stories” sketches, in which Murphy referred to Rick James as “a habitual line stepper.”

Chappelle then went on to tell Mayer that the singer-songwriter had performed a song four months ago during an intimate Los Angeles show that “reminded me of my friend, Charlie Murphy, our friend, Charlie Murphy.” Mayer then went into a rendition of “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me.”

Murphy’s death was met with an outpouring of grief across the comedy community and broader entertainment world. “Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle and friend Charlie,” the Murphy family said in a statement sent to media. “Charlie filled our family with love and laughter, and there won’t be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed.”

Most recently, Murphy had been touring with fellow comedians Cedric The Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley and George Lopez. After TMZ reported Murphy’s death, Hughley and other celebrities, including Russell Simmons and Chris Rock, paid tribute to the comedian on social media. Paul Mooney, who co-starred on “Chappelle’s Show,” and Neal Brennan, who co-produced the show alongside Chappelle, also shared heartfelt reactions to Murphy’s death.

Terribly saddened ... Charlie

— Paul Mooney -Legacy team (@PaulEalyMooney) April 12, 2017

Charlie Murphy was such a kind, sweet, funny man. Damn. Incredible talent, even better man. RIP ❤

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 12, 2017

Murphy’s most memorable “Chappelle’s Show” sketch recalled a basketball game Murphy and his brother played against Prince in the 1980s. Chappelle, in a purple velvet suit, played Prince as Murphy told the now-legendary story against a green screen. “This cat could ball,” Murphy said of Prince. “He was crossing cats like Iverson.”

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After delivering the kicker — that Prince served them pancakes and a side of trash talk after the game — Murphy looks straight into the camera. “Who the f— could make up that s—?” he says.

Another beloved “Chappelle’s Show” sketch reenacted Murphy getting punched in the face by soul singer Rick James. James, who died in 2004, also appeared on the show.

The sketch yielded a number of catchphrases — most famously “I’m Rick James, B—-“. The sketch was referenced in a 2006 song by the late singer Amy Winehouse, whose cover of the Zutons’s “Valerie” begins with “I’m sorry, Charlie Murphy. I was having too much fun,” a modified version of a line Chappelle (as Rick James) says to Murphy after punching him.

Prince dissed Eddie Murphy after basketball game of ‘Chappelle’ fame

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