Chappelle bids Charlie sad farewell

COMEDIAN DAVE Chappelle paid an emotional tribute to his friend and “Chappelle’s Show” writer Charlie Murphy during a surprise appearance at a John Mayer concert.

“Today I got some terrible news. My good friend Charlie Murphy passed away this morning, and everybody in comedy is heartbroken,” Chappelle said Wednesday from the stage of the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The notoriously private comedian called Mayer, his longtime friend, a “sight for sore eyes” on such a tough day. He said Mayer’s song “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me” reminded him of “my friend Charlie Murphy — our friend Charlie Murphy.”

“Much more than a friend,” Mayer said, “and author of my favorite phrase, ‘habitual line stepper.’ ”

That phrase was coined by Murphy as he described Rick James during his wildly popular “Chappelle’s Show” segment, “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories.”

“Rick James was a habitual line stepper,” Chappelle said from the stage Wednesday night, mimicking Murphy’s hilarious delivery.

The 57-year-old Murphy’s series on the show was based on his reallife experiences after his younger brother Eddie Murphy, 56, shot to superstardom.

A cousin told the Daily News on Wednesday that Murphy appeared to be doing better recently but then contracted pneumonia.