Since I just read that Eddie Murphy was just married, I figured that it was about time that I paid

tribute to one of the best and most talented comics that has entertained us throughout the years.

Eddie Murphy was born in Brooklyn,New York on the 3rd of April 1961 . His father died when Eddie

was quite young and he,his brother and step brother were raised by his mother who was a telephone

company employee along with his stepfather who worked as a foreman at a Breyer's Ice cream plant.

Even as a young person his comic talents were evident and by the ripe old age of 15 he was writing

and performing at youth centers and local bars. When he made it to the Manhattan Comic Strip his

talents were recognized by the club's co-owners [Robert Wachs and Richard Tienken] and they agreed

to help Eddie and manage his career. The got Eddie an audition for Saturday Night Live in 1975. He

was eventually cast as a featured member and became a full fledged star by the end of his first season.

His first big movie success came in 1982 when he, along with Nick Nolte, stared in 48 hours.Then in

1984 he stared in Beverly Hills Cop, the movie that would put Eddie into the superstar status.This

film would would earn him his third Golden Globe nomination and prove to be one of the biggest

domestic money makers in motion picture history. His portrayal as a Detroit cop in pursuit of his

friends murderers earned him his signature character that would stick with him for decades.

And one of my favorite movies had him paired with John Landis in the 1988 film 'Coming To America"

But after a few major hits and a few lackluster films his career seemed to be at a standstill.

Harlem Nights [1989] and Another 48 hrs [1990] and his almost forgotten performance in Boomerang

[1992] did very little to resuscitate his career. But a man of such comic genus could not be

kept down for long and his remake of Jerry Lewis's "The Nutty Professor" brought Eddie's drawing

power back into swing. His performance in Doctor Dolittle [1998] Mulan and Bowfinger proved that

he could also perform in family oriented humor. IN 2001 he stared in the animated smash Shrek.

In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of fictitious soul singer

James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls[1], and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best

Supporting Actor for the same role.Murphy's work as a voice actor includes Thurgood Stubbs in The

PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu in Disney's Mulan. In some of his films, he

plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, including Coming to America, the Nutty

Professor films.

Eddie Murphy had thrilled and entertained movie audiences for decades and will continue to contribute

his many talents for years to come. This multi talented actor deserves as much recognition for his

comic performances that he has supplied throughout the years. A tribute to Eddie Murphy!

Eddie Murphy celebrated New Year's Day [2008] by tying the knot with film producer Tracey Edmonds.

The pair exchanged vows Tuesday on a private island off Bora Bora in French Polynesia in front

of a small group of family and friends, their representatives told People magazine.

Murphy and Edmonds began dating last fall and were engaged in July.

Murphy, 46, has five children from his marriage to Nicole Mitchell Murphy, who filed for divorce

in 2005. He also has a daughter with Spice Girls singer Melanie Brown. Edmonds, 40, has two sons

from her 13-year marriage to singer Kenneth "Baby face" Edmonds. As head of Edmonds Entertainment

Group Inc., she has produced the film and television series "Soul Food."