Bill Hicks

At his memorial service his brother read out a piece he had written and requested be read: “I left in love, in laughter, and in truth, and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.”

He was born on December 16, 1961 in Valdosta, Georgia to James Melvin ”Jim” Hicks, an executive at General Motors and Mary Hicks, a teacher. He was the youngest child of the family with two elder siblings, Steve and Lynn.

His family lived in Florida, Alabama, and New Jersey before settling in Houston, Texas; Bill was seven years old at that time. Later in his interviews, he often recalled his jokes on his family’s Southern Baptist beliefs in his childhood.

He was drawn to comedy in his early childhood and dreamt of becoming Woody Allen. Along with his friend, Dwight Slade, he used to write routines and perform in front of his family and friends.

At the age of 13, he was on stage in Houston nightclubs performing without the consent of his parents, who believed him to be in his room at night. By 1978, he had become a regular performing member of the Houston Comedy Workshop.

In his senior year of high school, Hicks's parents moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, but he stayed in Houston to finish high school. He moved to Los Angeles and embarked on a stand-up comedy career, shortly after his graduation in 1980.

In Los Angeles, he quickly became a regular at the Comedy Store in Hollywood and was soon friends with Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Andrew Dice Clay.

In 1982, he formed a production company along with his friend, Kevin Booth, which later came to be known as ‘Sacred Cow’. But in 1983, his failed and unnoticed career in comedy pushed him towards alcohol and drug addiction.

In 1984, he appeared on the show ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ for the first time. His five minute stand-up and daredevil attitude won him admiration and further bookings. He went on to do 11 further broadcast shows, popularizing his image as an artist.

In 1987, an opportunity came in his life when Rodney Dangerfield offered him a chance to perform on ‘Young Comedians Special’, after watching one of the tapes of his previous shows. He moved to the New York City and went on to perform more than 250 times a year, for the next five years.

In 1988, when he realized the hazards and consequences of drugs, he quit it but got addicted to smoking, the worst kind of drug. But overcoming the drug addiction brought about the most successful phase of his career.

In 1989, he released his first video, ‘Sane Man’. It was a high energy video, marked by his wonderful performance and great sense of humor. He focused on the absurdity of life in his act with a frank view on human perspective on important things.

In 1991, he became a part of a tour to the U. K. where he was highly praised for his perception on society and ironic humor based on it.