Sam Kinison

Sam Kinison (December 8, 1953 - April 10, 1992), born Samuel Burl Kinison, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinctive scream. Initially performing for free, he became a regular fixture at The Comedy Store, where he met and befriended such comics as Robin Williams and Jim Carrey. His comedy was observational humor, especially towards women and dating, and his popularity grew quickly, leading to appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live.

Born in Yakima, Washington, Kinison was the son of a Pentecostal preacher, and the family moved to East Peoria, Illinois, when he was three months old. At the age of three he was hit by a truck, which left him with brain damage and epilepsy. He and his brothers emulated their father by becoming Pentecostal preachers, and he attended Pinecrest Bible Training Center between 1968 and 1969. He preached from the age of 17 to 24 using a "fire and brimstone" style, before abandoning preaching after his first divorce and taking up comedy.

Kinison began his career in Houston, where he became a member of a comedic group at the Comedy Workshop known as the Texas Outlaw Comics, which included Bill Hicks, who cited Kinison as a major influence. In 1980 he moved to Los Angeles, where he was first employed as a doorman at The Comedy Store. His big break came in August 1985 on HBO's Rodney Dangerfield's Ninth Annual Young Comedians Special, and in 1986 he appeared in Rodney Dangerfield's film Back to School. At the peak of his career in early 1992, he was killed in a car crash, aged 38. He received a Grammy nomination in 1988 for the single "Wild Thing" and a posthumous win in 1994 for Best Spoken Comedy Album, Live from Hell.