Bill Hicks

Background

Bill Hicks (whose full name was William Melvin Hicks) was born on December 16, 1961, in Valdosta, Georgia. He was the youngest of three children in a devout Southern Baptist family. His father, James Melvin Hicks, was a General Motors executive who moved the family to Florida, Alabama and New Jersey before settling in Houston, Texas. Hicks grew up emulating comedians Woody Allen and Richard Pryor. In high school, Hicks and his friend Dwight would perform to the delight of their classmates. At 15, Hicks began sneaking out at night to perform at a new comedy club alongside Slade.

Hicks chose to stay in Houston and finish high school when his family relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas. During that time, he played the guitar and sang in a garage rock band. He then moved to Los Angeles and performed regularly at the Comedy Store alongside many influential comedians. In the late 1980s, he moved to New York City, where he signed his first professional contract, released his first video titled “Sane Man,” and performed about 300 times over the next five years.

In 1990, Hicks released his first comedy album “Dangerous.” He performed at Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival and in an H.B.O. special. In November of that year, he toured the United Kingdom and was warmly received by British audiences. Between 1992 and 1993, he released the album “Relentless,” recorded the albums “Rant in E-Minor” and “Arizona Bay,” and toured Australia. In June 1993, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and began chemotherapy. In October that year, he made his 12th guest appearance on “Late Night with David Letterman” on C.B.S. On January 6, 1994, Hicks made his last appearance at Carolines on Broadway in New York. The following month, he died at his parents’ house in Arkansas.