Editing Sam Kinison (section)

==Early life==
Samuel Burl Kinison was born in [[Yakima, Washington]], on December 8, 1953, the son of Marie Florence (''née'' Morrow) and Samuel Earl Kinison, a [[Pentecostal]] preacher.<ref name="biography">{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/sam-kinison-424006 |title=Sam Kinison, Comedian (1953–1992) |publisher=[[A+E Networks]] |access-date=February 27, 2015}}</ref> The family moved to [[East Peoria, Illinois]], when Kinison was three months old.<ref name="pjs-called">{{cite news |url=http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1356915489/Luciano-Comedian-called-this-home |title=Comedian called this 'home' |first=Phil |last=Luciano |work=[[Peoria Journal Star]] |date=April 10, 2012 |page=B1 |access-date=April 10, 2012}}</ref> At the age of three years, Kinison was hit by a truck, which left him with brain damage and epilepsy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.biography.com/performer/sam-kinison |title=Sam Kinison - Movies, Wild Thing & Wife |publisher=biography.com |date=April 2, 2014 |access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/sam-kinisons-sad-scream-brothers-tale-goes-beyond-the-wild-performer/article_8f011594-f380-5394-9a57-dd25ed8b6c31.html |title=SAM KINISON'S SAD SCREAM BROTHER'S TALE GOES BEYOND THE WILD PERFORMER |publisher=buffalonews.com |date=August 21, 1994 |access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref> His father pastored several churches around the country, receiving little income. Kinison had two older brothers, Richard and Bill, and a younger brother, Kevin. His parents divorced when Kinison was 11 after which his brother Bill went to live with his father while Kinison stayed with the rest of the family, despite his protests. Bill described this as the root of much of Sam's anger.<ref name="gq">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2012-04/20/sam-kinison-tribute-death-wild-thing-quotes-video/viewall |magazine=[[GQ]] |date=April 20, 2012 |title=Icon: Sam Kinison |last=Jones |first=Dylan |access-date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> Kinison later attended [[East Peoria Community High School]] in East Peoria.<ref name="biography"/>

Kinison and his brothers emulated their father by becoming Pentecostal preachers. Between 1968 and 1969, Kinison attended [[Pinecrest Bible Training Center]], an [[interdenominational]], unaccredited, three-year [[bible school]] located in [[Salisbury, Herkimer County, New York|Salisbury Center, New York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.megiloth.com/thoughts_and_opinions/social_commentary/samkinison.htm |title=Leader of the Banned |publisher=Megiloth.com |date=December 8, 1953 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> His mother married another preacher and moved to [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], where Kinison lived for a while. He preached from the age of 17 to 24 and recordings of his sermons reveal that he used a "[[fire and brimstone]]" style, punctuated with shouts similar to the ones he would later use in his stand-up routines. His brother Bill, however, noted that "ironically, he had no stage presence" and he was not very successful at making money from preaching, as he was more concerned with making the sermons more informative than entertaining. After Kinison and his first wife were divorced, he abandoned preaching and took up comedy.<ref name="gq"/>