"We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free."
BILL HICKS
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William Melvin Hicks was
born in Valdosta Georgia on December 16th, 1961. He began his
career as a stand-up comedian at the age of 15. In 1980 Hicks moved
to Los Angeles and worked at the Comedy Store alongside Jerry
Seinfeld, Garry Shandling and Jay Leno. Two years later he returned
to Houston and in 1984 he appeared for the first time on the David
Letterman Show. Hicks toured throughout the US for the rest of the
decade, mostly in small venues, but began to rise to fame in the
early 90s with a number of well received comedy albums. His material
continued to cause trouble for him in his own country, but brought
him a dedicated following in Britain and elsewhere.
 Hicks was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas in the summer of 1993 and he died on February 26th, 1994. He was thirty-two years old.
"No, I don't do drugs anymore, either. But I'll tell you something about drugs. I used to do drugs, but I'll tell you something honestly about drugs, honestly, and I know it's not a very popular idea, you don't hear it very often anymore, but it is the truth: I had a great time doing drugs. Sorry. Never murdered anyone, never robbed anyone, never raped anyone, never beat anyone, never lost a job, a car, a house, a wife or kids, laughed my ass off, and went about my day." A more detailed
biographical note by Paul Outhwaite is available
here
Cynthia True’s biography, American Scream, is a good source for information about Hicks’ life
His long-time friend and collaborator Kevin Booth has written a memoir, Agent of Evolution
"I'm so sick of arming the world, then sending troops over to destroy the fucking arms, you know what I mean? We keep arming these little countries, then we go and blow the shit out of them. We're like the bullies of the world, y'know. We're like Jack Palance in the movie Shane, throwing the pistol at the sheepherder's feet. "Pick it up." "I don't wanna pick it up, Mister, you'll shoot me." "Pick up the gun." "Mister, I don't want no trouble. I just came downtown here to get some hard rock candy for my kids, some gingham for my wife. I don't even know what gingham is, but she goes through about ten rolls a week of that stuff. I ain't looking for no trouble, Mister." "Pick up the gun." (He picks it up. Three shots ring out.) "You all saw him - he had a gun."
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'Being a genius is a heavy burden, and he's the
only one I'm ever likely to meet.'
Sean Hughes |
'Savage, brilliant, funny, tremendously intelligent.' John Cleese |
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"It's just a ride and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money, a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one."
'A fantastic book ... His truth will make your stomach churn – there were times I was laughing at the most horrendous things' Shazia Mirza, Observer |
'He exhorted his audience to do more than just laught – he wanted them to strive to make the world a better place.' Jon Barnes, Times Literary Supplement |
 'The title Love All the People is important in that it isn't remotely ironic ... hicks was in his angry, cynical and still unsurpassably funny way, the most hopeless of romantics/' Andrew Mueller, Time Out |
'He was hilarious, brilliant, brave and right above everything.' Henry Rollins |
"Your denial is beneath you, and thanks to the use of hallucinogenic drugs, I see through you"
The Official Bill Hicks Website
"Here is my final point. About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography and smoking and everything else. What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, say, think, who I fuck, what I take into my body - as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?"
HOME PAGE MINI FOXIES READING ROCKS
"The world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly coloured and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question: "Is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, "Hey, don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." And we kill those people."
"I believe that God left certain drugs growing naturally upon our planet to help speed up and facilitate our evolution. OK, not the most popular idea ever expressed. Either that or you're all real high and agreeing with me in the only way you can right now." (Starts blinking)
