Patrice O'Neal

To be inspired by something usually comes from such a formulated thing: success right before everything goes to shit. It's very rare to be inspired by a personality, or a way of thinking. No defining moment, no beautifully told story. Just brilliance. 

I had first heard Patrice O'Neal on the Opie and Anthony show a couple of years ago. He's a big black guy, so it's hard to say I related to anything he had to say. I didn't even agree with a lot of what he was saying, but hearing him explain his thinking was amazing. He's probably the most hilarious person I've ever heard just speak. His natural cadence was just funnier then anything else I'd ever heard. 

He showed how funny being fully honest is. To just say exactly what he saw and how he saw it was always so refreshing. 

I literally heard his voice at least once every week since then. He had such a fascinating point of view that I would have never seen from. I needed to hear it. I needed to know what ways I wasn't looking at the world. There is no one I've listened to speak with such an ability to grab peoples attention with just purely telling how he felt. 

For all of that gay shit I just said, he was always one of my favourite comics. I'm not just saying that because he's gone, I'm saying it because it's true. 

I remember watching one show he did on youtube and seeing how he interacted with the room, and how he gave all of himself to the crowd and just wished I could find a way to do that. At the same time, he never compromised himself for an audience. You were always going to get him. 

I remember seeing him on the Charlie Sheen roast and honestly feeling proud to show people his performance. I almost feel like everyone should hear his point of view, and if you don't you truly are missing out. 

When I heard he had a stroke last month I was devastated. I just hoped he'd somehow be ok. The truth was that a guy who was so brilliant and talented was in state where he couldn't even speak or communicate. So when I heard he passed away I was heart broken but almost relieved. Nothing would be worse then seeing someone with so much life exist like that. 

He was such an extraordinary talent. I feel like I will miss his existence. 

I have 5 comics who I truly look up to. He's always been one of them.