Rambunctious, foul-mouthed, and hard-partying.
Sam Kinison epitomized the excesses of the late '80s rock scene,
but it was a stranger’s mistake that brought it all down. Keep watching for the tragic details.
Sam Kinison was a star who rubbed elbows with some of the hardest partying rock legends of the time,
a comedy sensation who seemed destined for greatness.
And then in the blink of an eye, it was all gone.
To understand the tragedy of Kinison's death,
though, first you have to understand the unbelievable story of his life.
Born in December of 1953, Kinison was the son of a Pentecostal preacher.
Raised in East Peoria, Illinois, with his two brothers, Kinison adopted his father's trade,
preaching in open-air tents in backwater towns from the age of 17.
Delivering fire-and-brimstone sermons to his temporary congregations,
Kinison honed his notorious screaming style later used to such effect in his comedy routines.
According to Biography, Kinison was a big fan of Richard Pryor's comedy,
and coincidentally, Pryor hailed from Peoria, just across the river from where Kinison grew up.
So you might say it was fate: after six years as a preacher,
Kinison divorced his wife of five years and became a comedian. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles,
adopting the beret/overcoat ensemble that would later become his trademark.
Over the next five years, Kinison shrieked through the big comedy clubs of LA,
picking up a very costly cocaine habit along the way. He finally got his big break in August
of 1985, when he landed a spot on Rodney Dangerfield's "Young Comedians" TV special.
"We all love him here, let's have a nice warm reception for Sam Kinison, okay,
here we are Sammy! Aright baby, here we are, love ya, love ya!"
The fuse was lit, ignition was set, there was nowhere for Kinison to go but the stratosphere.
The next seven years for Kinison would propel him to the heights of comedy mega-stardom.
Following the success from his role as an "on-the-edge" teacher in Rodney Dangerfield's film
"Back to School," Kinison's trajectory took him from "Late Night with David Letterman" to his own
HBO TV special, three comedy albums, and appearances on "Saturday Night Live."
"When they needed an answer for world hunger, what did I do? I said, hey,
move to the food! You live in a desert, move to the food!"
At the same time, Kinison became involved in L.A.'s hard rocking, hard partying music scene.
He rubbed shoulders with the likes of Steven Tyler, and in 1988 he put out a cover of "Wild
Thing" by the Troggs, with a music video that received fairly heavy rotation on MTV. Kinison
included music on some of his comedy albums, with covers of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and
Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" making appearances on his 1990 album "Leader of the Banned."
But his party lifestyle began interfering with his career, dragging him into the depths of drug abuse
and alcoholism. Even while he was performing shows that paid as much $50,000 apiece, Kinson
sometimes found his career in jeopardy thanks to his drug dependency and erratic behavior.
Sometimes his performances seemed off when he was under the influence.
Additionally he found himself at odds with the studio producing what would have been his first
starring film role, the lead in the film "Atuk." Reports differed, with the studio saying Kinison
simply walked off set; however, the comedian maintained that the studio had halted production.
By the early 90s, Kinison seemed to have hit a crossroads.
Kinison reportedly began to clean up his act, cutting back on his wild behavior.
He landed a guest starring spot on the hugely popular sitcom "Married... With Children."
Kinison appeared in the series' Christmas special and his performance was received well,
reportedly leading to talks with networks to appear in his own sitcom.
But it all ended suddenly on the night of April 10, 1992. While driving his Trans Am to a gig
in Nevada, Kinison was hit head-on by a pickup truck that suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic.
The sad irony is that after all Kinison's efforts to clean up his life,
the driver that hit him was a 17-year-old who reportedly had been drinking.
Kinison's wife of only a week, Malika, walked away with only a concussion.
Kinison, though, died at the site. He was only 38 years old.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website
or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).