Rudolph Frank Moore, best known as Rudy Ray Moore, was an American comedian, musician, singer, film actor, and film producer. He is the creator of the popular character called Dolemite from the film called Dolemite which had several sequels too. As of 2019, Rudy Ray Moore net worth is estimated to be $3 million.
Moore was born on March 17, 1927, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Growing up, he used to preach in churches and at the same time, also worked as a nightclub dancer. On the side, he was also experimenting with dancing and the art of comedy.
He would then join the US Army served in an entertainment unit in Germany where he used to sing country songs. He continued to sing as well as perform comedies even after his honorable discharge from the army. After this, he got acquainted with several labels who recorded different rhythm and blues songs.
Then, over the years, he also released several comedy albums which included Below the Belt and A Comedian Is Born. While he was working in Los Angeles in 1970, he heard the stories of “Dolemite” as told by a local man.
That would inspire him to take on the role of this character in his recordings as seen in Eat Out More Often, This Pussy Belongs To Me, and The Dirty Dozens. The rhyming poetry he delivered for the content of this time would inspire a new generation of rapper with him even being mentioned as the “the Godfather of Rap”.
In the back of his mind at the time, he had conceptualized Dolemite as a film and when it released in 1975. It was a big hit. The character was critically acclaimed and it would lead to three sequels to follow that were The Human Tornado, The Monkey Hustle, and Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil’s Son-in-Law.
On October 19, 2008, Moore died in Ohio because of complications from Diabetes. 10 years later in 2018, it would be announced that Dolemite Is My Name would be produced which would star Eddie Murphy starring as Moore.
