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Public Memorial Friday for Cactus Pryor

Photo courtesy of LBJ Library & Museum

Legendary Austin broadcaster Richard “Cactus” Pryor will be celebrated at Riverbend Centre this Friday at 2 pm. Riverbend Centre is a 2,500 capacity theater near the 360 Bridge over Lake Austin

Pryor died Tuesday at the age of 88. He had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and recently broke his leg during a fall at an assisted living facility.KLBJ-AM, the local radio station Pryor called home, has set up a memorial page with several audio commentaries from Cactus.

The LBJ Library & Museum has this remembrance page, which includes a 50-minute presentation from Pryor talking about his career and the time he spent working with the Johnson family.

Pryor was the first person to appear on local TV in Austin when he opened the inaugural broadcast on KTBC Channel 7, now My Fox Austin.

My Fox Austin yesterday invited longtime Austin anchorman Neal Spelce to reminisce about working with Cactus.

 

For some vintage Cactus, check out this Cold War-era civil defense video from 1960, written and narrated by Pryor, in which he warns about the possibility of a nuclear attack on Austin.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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