Dick Gregory became a pioneering black comedian with his early '60s TV appearances

The legendary comic and civil rights activist, who died Saturday at age 84, was able to gain a mainstream audience thanks to an invitation to appear on Jack Paar’s new show, The Jack Paar Program, in 1962. As Gregory recalls, Paar phoned him and asked, “'How come you don't wanna work my show?' I said, 'Cause the Negroes never sit down.' 'Well, come on in, I'll let you sit down.' And that's how it happened. I came in, did my act, went to sit on the couch. It was sitting on the couch that made my salary grow in three weeks — from $250 working seven days a week to $5,000 a night."