The Navy Times reports the sad news that Charlie Murphy, brother of comedian Eddie Murphy, passed at the age of 57 from leukemia. He also served in the Navy from 1978 – 1984. Wiki says that he was off-shore from Beirut when the barracks there were bombed.
PR.com interviewed him about his time in the Navy
PR.com: Why did you start out in the Navy? And did you always want to go into show business?
Charlie Murphy: When I was a teenager, my whole thing was… I was a street guy. I hung out with street people and when you hang out with a crowd like that you will end up in trouble. So I got in trouble and it was like, “Ok, you wanna to go to prison or you wanna go to the military?”
PR.com: Is that what the judge said?
Charlie Murphy: That’s what I said. Because it was like, this is not gonna stop. When you get out [of jail], if you don’t go away right away, you’ll be coming back there. I got out on a Monday and I signed up for the Navy the same day. It was the best move I could have possibly made because everybody else that I know that I grew up with, two guys survived and everybody else is dead. And out of the two guys that survived, one of them just got out of prison, like, two weeks ago. He went to jail when he was nineteen. There’s only one dude that didn’t go to jail. He’s a barber and he’s still in Roosevelt (Long Island). But, everyone else is dead. So, I did the right thing by leaving. Those guys went on to do hard prison sentences, and get killed and horrific stuff, man. I became a man in the Navy. That’s where I got my first apartment, my first marriage, my first bank account, my first car… it all happened there. That was a good experience.
[…]
Charlie Murphy: And when I went into the military is when I realized I had a very good brain. It’s very easy to learn, very adaptable and very creative. And I started believing in it. Once you start realizing that you can do these things and you believe that you can do something, you start making an effort and you start doing.
I believe someone told me Charlie was a BT2 in the Navy, working on the ship’s boilers. Not an easy job, even in the merchant marine on the old steam plants… dirty, hard work.
Very inspirational words, and a very funny man. Rest in peace.
Oh! That’s where he probably honed his sense of humor. Those BTs were some craaaaazy mofos! Must have been the heat from the boilers!
being a snipe in the boiler room is a SHYTTY job, don’t ask me how I know! worst job in the Navy imho
Charile Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories segments on Chappelle’s Show are legendary. Chappelle’s over-the-top Rick James character got a lot of the attention, but Charlie’s street-smart dead-pan storytelling made the segments. He will be missed.
DARKNESS!!!!!
The skit where Murphy relates his basketball game with Prince is absolutely fucking CLASSIC!
Rest in peace, shipmate.
Shirts vs blouses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvPpr4k_1LI
Apologies for lack of quality, it was the best I could find on youtube.
I will add that purchasing the season on DVD is worth it for Charly Murphy’s bit parts alone.
RIP,
Man was part of great segments and great roles in movies. Shocking that he was sick. He was still very active making film and shows.
Never heard of this man yet he appeared in many movies and TV shows. Evidently, the US Navy saved him from prison or an early grave.
Rest in Peace, Brother.
Again, my surprised face finding out yet another Hollywood Celebrity that served with honor.
:-0
Fair winds and following seas, Charlie.
Damn, I didn’t know Charlie Murphy was a veteran. RIP,shipmate. Here he is talking about Rick James.
https://youtu.be/2278XhCy4Bs
Charlie Murphy was just as funny as Eddie and, unlike Eddie, stayed funny his whole career (Eddie had a few low points). Leukemia is a horrible way to go. May he rest in peace.
His true Hollywood stories are one of the funniest things In the history of comedy. IMHO
Rest in peace Mr. Murphy.
Fair Winds and Following Seas Shipmate.
Rest in Peace shipmate!
May God bless you and your family!
Served when few wanted to and the remains of Vietnam weighed heavily on all. Good on yer, sir.
Right around the time I joined in 1980, the mood in the USN started changing radically. President Reagan, Admiral Hayward and his zero tolerance policy, crackerjacks issued again (best uniform in the Navy!), pay increase, etc, etc.
I can say unequivocally that the first 10 years of my Navy career I should have been paying the Navy it was so much fun.
At least Charlie got to see the USN turn into a proud fighting force once again.
Did 4 under Carter and 5 under Reagan… night and day. I waited till after the ’80 election to re-enlist, had Carter won I would have voted a second time – with my feet.
Some would say we are feeling the same change effect right now too.
There are many stories from back then about being given what seemed like two shitty choices at the time. Taking the military turns out to be the best thing that could happen to a lot of us.
I had the same choice, I made the same decision except that I went to Alaska and he went to the Navy. We all had the adventure of a lifetime.
Truly a gifted talent for making people laugh.
He will be missed.
RIP Sailor, your mission is accomplished.
Rest in Peace Charlie.
His telling of those stories were absolutely brilliant and the fact both Rick James and Prince came out years later and said they were true made them all the more better.
Rest Well ! ! !
Awesome, funny man! Did not know this about him. A man who truly turned his life around.
A life well lived. Rest now in peace, Charlie.
Life is short. Rick James, Prince, and Charlie Murphy were 56, 57, and 57, respectively.
This is the kind of story that should be better publicized about celebrities and other successful people.
“I was in a shitty situation, but I joined the military and everything got better and I was made better because of it.”
I like the way he clarified that it wasn’t an imposed choice about him joining the navy, just something he figured out on his own.
Poser 101 usually starts with ” The Judge told me it was either the Army or Jail”
He also lost his wife to cancer.
Friend I know served with him here in the VA. Said he was a great man with a crazy sense of humor. I had no clue he had Leukemia, but guy here at work said you can tell he was changing.
He seem to hold up strong to me. RIP CM!
I hate to see a fellow vet go that young, especially one so talented. A straight shooter too.
Cancer sucks.
Rest In Peace Charlie. Thanks for the wise words and funnies. Condolences to the Murphy family.