William Melvin "Bill" Hicks, (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994), was a controversial American stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic. Born in Valdosta, Georgia, Bill was the son of Jim and Mary (Reese) Hicks, and had two elder siblings, Steve and Lynn. The family lived in Florida, Alabama, and New Jersey before settling in Houston, Texas when Bill was seven.
In 1983, Hicks began drinking heavily while using a massive regimen of illicit substances, including LSD, psilocybin, cocaine, MDMA, poppy tea, diazepam, Quaaludes and methamphetamine, which may have influenced his increasingly disjointed and angry, at times even misanthropic ranting style on stage. He continued attacking the American dream, hypocritical beliefs, and traditional attitudes. During his first experience with alcohol Hicks viciously attacked the audience in a drunken rage. Two Vietnam veterans took exception to his statements and sought him out after the show, breaking one of his legs and cracking one of his ribs.
In April 1993, while touring in Australia, he started complaining of pains in his side, and on June 16 of that year, he learned he had pancreatic cancer. He started receiving weekly chemotherapy, while still touring and also recording his album, Arizona Bay, with Kevin Booth
Bill played the final show of his career at Caroline's in New York on January 6, 1994. Bill moved back to his parents' house in Little Rock, Arkansas shortly thereafter. He called his friends to say goodbye before he stopped speaking on February 14, and died in the presence of his parents at 11:20 p.m. on February 26, 1994 of pancreatic cancer.[6] Bill was buried on the family plot in Leakesville, Mississippi.
BILL HICKS
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