My all time favorite comedian. Died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the young age of 32. Any fans out there?
My all time favorite comedian. Died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the young age of 32. Any fans out there?
Over here! I'm a late-comer to his work. It's almost become a cliche to say he was the best stand up comedian, he spoke the truth, was courageous; then you look at his live videos and you just have to agree everything that's said about him is true. He gives me faith in the human race. Very sadly missed.
He was brilliant, prescient and hilarious. I miss him, especially his Letterman appearances. Are there any good biographies about him?
Elizabeth
I just looked him up..I totally remember him and thought he was hysterical..he was definately my type of comedian..I didn't realize he'd died..bummer! My husband and I both liked him.
"Sit on my shoulders and let me wear you like a feed bag...."
Yeah, I remember Bill!
He was another person that i was shocked by his death.
Not a fan.
A completely overrated comedian just like Lenny Bruce.
Who are your favorites tugboat?
I guess I'll be the one to mention that Denis Leary was said to have stolen a lot of Bill Hicks material. Anyone interested can Click Here to go through the different examples. Cool I just noticed I'm an official Death Hag... when do I get my certificate?
I haven't yet read this, but this biography was reccommended to me:
Bill Hicks-Agent of Evolution The Definitive Boigraphy by His Life Long Friend
by Kevin Booth and Micheal Bertin
My fav quote: We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.
Ya'll might be interested to know that he was an animal lover and that there is an animal rescue organization in Austin dedicated to him. If you are interested, please check this out.
http://www.billhicks.org/index.html
Last edited by Shes Not There; 10-19-2007 at 11:18 AM. Reason: missed a word in the book title
I'm a Denis Leary fan and I've been reading how Dennis supposedly stole material from Him. I don't know if this is true or not but it's been said. I didn't know Bill.
At the end of Bill's life he spent time with his parents, sorted through his papers and wrote more, some of his writing is collected here: http://www.loveallthepeople.co.uk/read_bill.html He also got his Dad to try magic mushrooms to open his mind.
I wonder why Bill Hicks found more fame in Britain than he did in the US. To be quite honest, I didn't know who he was until I moved to the UK, but I'm so glad I know his stuff now, he was hilarious! Just wish I could have appreciated it before he died...
"When asked about Leary, Hicks sarcastically told an interviewer: "I have a scoop for you. I stole his act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and to really throw people off, I did it before he did."
Hmm well on a radio documentary they said he could be quite Anti-American which obviously goes down badly there and well here. I don't know though, I'd like to think we're not that easily swayed. I would say it was refreshing for us to see a US comic who wasn't totally patriotic to the point of ridiculing things about Britain that don't measure up. The timing was also right in Britain, the alternative comedy scene was heavy on Oxbridge graduates in the 1980s, that era was coming to a close and comedy audiences wanted something new. I think his audiences would see that he loved his country but he just hated that the power was in the wrong hands, he thought people were basically good and wanted to make the world a better place. Maybe US audiences weren't quite ready to try to rebel. I think because most of the crimes of the Reagan-Bush I era happened outside the US, people weren't so aware about it and ready to come on board with him. I'm just hupothesising.
For some reason, I just can't place this guy, and feeling to tired to search
I just watched the Bill Hicks Live compilation DVD and I feel so empty now. It was so heartbreaking to watch Richard Jeni to the commentary about Bill.
I love him, and was shocked to see a tribute to him on Comedy Central soon after his death- I hadn't known he'd died. As someone who thinks we should use our First Amendment rights all the time, I like people who call "the Establishment" on their stuff, even if I don't agree with their opinions or solution, so I never found his stuff offensive in the least.
His joke about Jim Fixx, the runner who wrote a book about running and then ironically dying of a heart attack while running was one of those that made you gasp and laugh uproariously at the same time. Not too many people did (or still do) joke about someone's death, and I think it was very daring to do. "Left foot, right foot . . . .hemorrage!"
Bill Hicks was a comic genius!! Not everones cup of tea I could imagine but a real funny and clever comedian
I have a very distant (seriously distant) connection to him, two ways: one, I used to work with his long-time girlfriend (they had broken up way before he died but were together a long time; she's a doctor) and two, I have a friend who used to do standup and did a show with him. They both had lots of positive stuff to say about him.
I loved his bit on the warning labels for cigarette packages
Just read a fine biography on him by his friend Kevin Booth called Agent Of Revolution. What a great comedian/satirist and what a tragedy he only lived to a short age. Comedy could do with a few more like him nowadays.
Just watched Letterman atoning for cutting his October 1, 1993, appearance. He had Bill's mother on, who was wonderful.
Interesting story about the incident here:
http://www.konformist.com/2000/bill-hicks.htm
Damn! This post has been here since 10-18-07 and I haven't posted? I'm ashamed of myself.
I wish that there was word that meant "made me laugh and think at the same time" because it would be extremely handy.
Bill Hicks is one of my favorite comedians. Truly a "Stand Up Philosopher". He made me belly laugh and reflect upon my beliefs, simultaneously.
He made me laugh and I miss him.
Loved him.........
I loved him. He was one of my favorites. I was very sad to hear of his passing.
Just seen the one with Bill Hicks mother on Letterman
last night.
It kind of look like she was about to cry when David
Letterman apologized.
Last edited by theotherlondon; 01-31-2009 at 10:08 AM.
IS there anywhere online where I can watch the footage of Bill's mothers appearence on Letterman?
He...was...a...great...comedian.....I..remember..watching
him..quite..a..few..times..on...Letterman.......I..didnt..know
that....Letterman...had..censored...his...last..show...and..
that..it..was..his..decision...to..do...so.........I...did...read
that..he...apologized...to..his...wife....and...took...full..
blame.......Something..still..does..not..make..sense..about
that...to...me....though......I..still...think...he...might..have
been...pressured..to..do..that...by...someone....above..
Christ...it...must..be..hard...to...kiss...so...much...ass...to
save...your...job...
Geeze didnt know he had died but I had wondered what happened to him..too bad..
The first time I saw and heard Bill Hicks was online on one of the free tv websites. When they broadcast one of his shows it was love. That man was saying everything that I was thinking and raise to believe. He made sense.
He was a bright light that was taken away from a very dark world. What makes me really angry is I discovered him after he died. Dennis Leary is okay but is not nothing compared to Bill.
Bill was awesome...so funny....his was a sad loss.
Im a huge fan. I didnt know Bil, but Im close to alot of his friends. I have followed his career since I was in high school. (im 36 now)
There is a book out by Cynthia True called American Scream that is fabulous.
About Leary, he indeed did steal Bill's material, I mean, its a common thing to lift jokes from comics here and there, but he basicly took a whole routine from Bill.
If you get a chance, go rent "Sane Man" and "No Cure For Cancer" they are basicly the same act. Sad...
Bill even said once, "hey, he does a better me than I do!"
Just finished watching this (quality isn't very good)
Bill Hicks Archived Scraps [150m] From Beyond The Grave [Extended Edition]
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...dur=3&st=month
A great comedian.
RIP Bill
http://www.billhicks.com/
I was watching the movie, Heckler the other night and it had Bill on giving it right back to a drunk woman in the audience!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]peek-a-boo!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9ySCcnoo3c
I had never seen his act. He was hilarious!
I have all of his albums on my Itunes...
I don't have a favorite..i love all his work....
RIP Bill.....
"Go to Heaven for the climate - Hell for the company" - Mark Twain
this is one of the best written articles on Bill, I still have my original copy.
BTW, his dad never took shrooms.
The Gospel According to Hicks
GQ MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 1994 By Mike Sager
http://www.negcap.com/NC3/hicks-gq.html
Bill Hicks Outlaw Comic Documentary (It's in seven parts)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAnjWHP7KAc
Wasnt he just brillant and brave! Like we need our vocal comedians to be! The great comedians take it (dare i hate the saying but) to the next level! He was like Lenny Bruce smart and not afraid to say what might offend! God we have to have people like that and we dont want them to die on us all the time either cus who replaces them?