“The Buddy Holly Story” Actor Dead at 79

reelblack / YouTube

On Wednesday (May 19), fans were shocked to hear that the “Godfather of Comedy” had passed away.

Paul Mooney, who frequently collaborated with Richard Pryor, was known for his stand-up about race and and social topics in the US, and for his 1993 comedy album RACE.

Additionally, he is known for playing legendary musician Sam Cooke in the 1978 film The Buddy Holly Story.

In addition to actin in The Buddy Holly Story, Mooney also notably played the character Junebug in Spike Lee’s 2000 film Bamboozled.

Mooney’s publicist confirmed to The New York Daily News that the comedian and actor had passed away from a heart attack on Wednesday (May 19) around 5:30am. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Watch his memorable scene in The Buddy Holly Story below.