Comedian Charlie Murphy passes away at the age of 57

by Jon Cranny on April 13th, 2017 at 12:45 PM

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The comedy world lost a popular performer when Charlie Murphy (57) died yesterday from leukemia, on April 12, 2017.

Charlie—who followed his brother Eddie Murphy into sketches and stand-up—might not have reached the level of fame as his sibling, but was a hard-working, hilarious comedian who deserved his success.

He was best known for his legendary storytelling on The Chappelle Show, where he recounted tales about his time with Rick James and Prince in the 80's. He was also a touring comedian, and appeared in many movies—most notably CB4 as Gusto alongside Chris Rock, and Harlem Nights, which starred Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. He later played Vic on the TV series Black Jesus and was the voice of Ed Wuncler III on The Boondocks, as well as many other notable television appearances.

Murphy’s family released this statement:

“Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle, and friend, Charlie,” the family said. “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. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers. We respectfully ask for privacy during this time of great loss for all of us.”

The performer sent this Tweet just a day before his death: