ABSTRACT
This statement from comedy legend Bill Hicks summarized both his philosophy in life and comedy. He wanted push the envelope, to question dogma, to force people to consider alternative viewpoints in hope that we could evolve to create a more just society. Hicks was one the greatest comedic minds of his generation. He rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s through a dozen appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and a series of televised comedy specials. A native of Houston, Texas, he began writing jokes at the early age of 13. Three years later, in 1978, he gave his first professional performance at the newly opened club Comedy Workshop in San Felipe with his partner Dwight Slade. Although shortly after the performance Slade would move away to Portland, Oregon, Hicks continued to write and perform. Because he was still in high school Hicks often had to sneak out of his parents’ house in order to perform. As he grew, he became a tireless comic. From 1988 to 1993, he averaged 265 performances a year. Although they would later have a falling out, Hicks’ popularity was boosted by his numerous appearances on Letterman’s show and by a series of HBO specials. Sadly, just as he was reaching the peak of his fame, Hicks was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and given only months to live. He passed away at the age of 32 years old in 1994.
