Bernie Mac Has Died

By Mary Owen and Kelley L. Carter

12:40 PM CDT, August 9, 2008

Fans from Chicago to California mourned the passing of Bernie Mac on Saturday, remembering him as a successful comedian and role model.

"He’s from Chicago and he showed he can make it if you push yourself," said Devon Price, 17, a student at Eisenhower High School, who called Mac a role model for young African-Americans.

Mac, 50, died early Saturday morning after being hospitalized with pneumonia for at least a week at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The South Side native rose from edgy stand-up comic to network TV star.

"What’s interesting about Bernie’s career is that he wasn’t a mainstream comic at first. A lot of this was in his act. Bernie would talk about things that I think were not viewed by Hollywood as being mainstream-y-type subjects. His act was very edgy and very raw. Bernie would talk about things that other black comics wouldn’t talk about like skin color, and how being a very dark-skinned black man like him made his life very different from other people. Bernie was a big hit with a certain segment of even the black community, the more working class and urban audiences. He was their hero," said Gary Hardwick, a screenwriter and director based in Los Angeles whose credits include "The Brothers" and "Deliver Us From Eva."

Bryant Lee Turner, a local comic known as BLT, called Mac a mentor.

"What Bernie brought for comics all over was his style. There’s only one Bernie Mac style: straight forth, it’s the realism," Turner said. "Bernie gave you the sense that if you put the work in, it’ll pay off for you eventually."

Turner said he last saw Mac at a Gladys Knight concert in Country Club Hills last month. Knight gave Mac a big shout out from the stage, asking the audience to give him a round of applause. Mac, who was seated in the front row, took his hat off and waved.

Word of Mac’s death spread along the Bud Billiken Parade route as fans called him a down-to-earth man whose comedy reflected their own experiences, especially those of the black community.

"His show with the family was a positive showing that black people could have things and be successful in life," said Maxwell Davis, 54, who traveled from Benton Harbor, Mich., to watch the parade.

Davis said he saw Mac perform in northwest Indiana more than 10 years ago before Mac was famous. He said it really cracked him up when Mac would get bug eyes when showing shock or surprise.

"He was funny," said Davis, a retired factory worker. "He opened up for another comedian."

Aretha James, 37, was at the grocery store this morning when her husband called her to tell her Mac had died.

"I felt so saddened. My prayers go out to his family," said James, who enjoys watching re-runs of the "Bernie Mac Show."

Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune

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