From Library Journal
In 1993, not long after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, controversial comedian Hicks found his final, scathing appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman abruptly excised at network demand. Months later, at age 32, he was dead. Hicks's bitterly confrontational brand of comedy was not for everyone, but many were passionate about his work. Los Angeles-based journalist True here describes the evolution of Hicks's acerbic comedy standard, his many acquaintances inside and outside of the industry, his influences, and his tragic demise. True's accounts of the comedian's many adventures including his drug experimentation and booze binges, his explosive TV and concert appearances, and his volatile personal relationships are what make this book worthwhile, and Hicks's fans won't be disappointed. A number of rarely seen black-and-white photographs are scattered throughout the book, and Janeane Garofalo provides a foreword. A great addition to library collections that own Hicks's first two live-comedy CDs, Dangerous and Relentless. Recommended as a fascinating portrait of this unique individual and as the only existing biography of a trailblazing entertainer who left us far too soon. David M. Lisa, Wayne P.L., NJCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
*Starred Review* Biographies rarely capture the uniqueness and vitality of a performer as deftly as this hilarious and touching chronicle of the short life of maverick comedian Bill Hicks. Rebelling from a rigid south Texas upbringing, Hicks focused his fury into a controversial career of ranting against all hypocrisy, from the Christian right's to that of hack entertainers, particularly shallow comedians, and the censorship of his act on David Letterman. True makes a strong case for Hicks as heir to Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, putting hard truths in the guise of humor in a desperate attempt to educate and convert. Rather than seeming a martyr, however, Hicks comes across as a deeply, perhaps dangerously sensitive man blessed with extraordinary wit and a profound sense of justice, who tried night after night to work through his doubts, fears, and, of course, anger. The audience in many of the book's admirably constructed performance scenes seems to be simply along for the ride, with no idea of its ultimate destination, alternately laughing uproariously and sitting in bewildered silence. True shows great restraint in unfolding Hicks' story, often allowing his words to speak for themselves and demonstrating a vital sense of comic timing herself. After a moving account of Hicks' death from pancreatic cancer at 32, she concludes, "Four days later, Carrot Top won the American Comedy Award." Bill Hicks would have laughed. Will Hickman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Kirkus Reviews
“True neatly describes, in this peculiarly American tale, the inbred atmosphere of the counter-culture comedy world.”


Book Description
Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Andy Kaufman -- add Bill Hicks to that list of brilliant, fearless comics. Just emerging from underground cult status when he died at age thirty-two, Bill Hicks spent most of his life making audiences roar -- and censors cringe -- with biting social satire about everything from former president George Bush to rock stars who hawk diet Coke. His nervy talent redefined the boundaries of comedy in the '80s and won him a list of admirers that includes John Cleese, George Carlin, and Thom Yorke of Radiohead.This posthumous biography reveals for the first time what made Bill Hicks tick -- what made him laugh, what pissed him off, and what he saw as his ultimate mission: to release people from their prison of ignorance. From his first comedy gig at Bible camp to his infamous cancellation on The Late Show with David Letterman, Cynthia True portrays an artist whose outrage, drive, and compassion fueled a controversial body of work that still resonates today.


About the Author
Cynthia True has written for TimeOut New York, Texas Monthly, Glamour, Rolling Stone, and Harper's Bazaar. She lives in Los Angeles.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bill Hicks was a social commentator/comedian whose biting satire was most often compared to the great Lenny Bruce. A year before his untimely death at age 32, he was selling out 2000-seat theaters, named "Hot Comedian" by Rolling Stone, and called "an exhilarating comic thinker in a renegade class all by himself" by The New Yorker. This posthumous biography will shed light on his wild comic sketches, his manic lifestyle, and why he is still talked about today as one of the greatest comedians of his time.

Like Lenny Bruce and Andy Kaufman, Bill Hicks redefined the boundaries of comedy in the mid to late 1980s by providing biting social commentary on everything from the Bush administration to large corporations like Coca-Cola. He was the first performer since Elvis Presley to be banned from CBS's Ed Sullivan Theater (where he was making his 11th appearance on the David Letterman Show) and he lived much of his life like he performed his comedy -- on the edge, uncompromising, and always trying to hit a nerve. On the brink of becoming a breakthrough artist, Hicks died at age 32 of pancreatic cancer, but even today he is largely considered one of the greatest comics of his time, by both critics and peers alike.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

In 1993, not long after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, controversial comedian Hicks found his final, scathing appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman abruptly excised at network demand. Months later, at age 32, he was dead. Hicks's bitterly confrontational brand of comedy was not for everyone, but many were passionate about his work. Los Angeles-based journalist True here describes the evolution of Hicks's acerbic comedy standard, his many acquaintances inside and outside of the industry, his influences, and his tragic demise. True's accounts of the comedian's many adventures including his drug experimentation and booze binges, his explosive TV and concert appearances, and his volatile personal relationships are what make this book worthwhile, and Hicks's fans won't be disappointed. A number of rarely seen black-and-white photographs are scattered throughout the book, and Janeane Garofalo provides a foreword. A great addition to library collections that own Hicks's first two live-comedy CDs, Dangerous and Relentless. Recommended as a fascinating portrait of this unique individual and as the only existing biography of a trailblazing entertainer who left us far too soon. David M. Lisa, Wayne P.L., NJ Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews