Redd Foxx
Foxx's comedic talent was showcased early in life as he worked the nightclubs around St. Louis as a teenager.  He left home at sixteen and got into trouble with the law on numerous occasions, especially after he joined a New York street gang. It was during this time that he befriended another up-and-coming black man who would later become known as Malcolm X.  He worked every nightclub he could find as he developed his style during the early 1940s. Part of the reputation he developed in the clubs was that of a foul mouth, which was a big draw for some crowds but limited his appeal to larger audiences.