#RolandMartinUnfiltered— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) May 19, 2021Mooney was born Paul Gladney on August 4, 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
He moved to Oakland at the age of seven where he was primarily raised by his grandmother. It was while working as a ringmaster with the Gatti-Charles Circus that Mooney began to develop his knack for comedic writing and telling jokes.
In 1968, Mooney met Pryor and they remained friends until the comedic legend’s death in 2005. He said of their bond in a 2010 interview with popmatters.com, “Opposites attract.
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