Editing Sam Kinison

{{short description|American comedian (1953–1992)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name        = Sam Kinison
| image       = Sam_Kinison_&_Rodney_Dangerfield.jpg
| caption     = Kinison (left) with [[Rodney Dangerfield]]
| birth_name  = Samuel Burl Kinison
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1953|12|8|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Yakima, Washington]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1992|4|10|1953|12|8|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Needles, California]], U.S.
| resting_place = Memorial Park Cemetery, [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| active      = 1978–1992
| genre       = {{hlist|[[Comedy]]|[[satire]]|[[observational comedy]]}}
| subject     = {{hlist|Human sexuality|current events|[[American politics]]|religion}}
| influences  =
| influenced  =
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Patricia Adkins|1975|1980|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Terry Jean Marze|1981|1989|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Malika Marie Souiri|1992}}
}}
| children = 1
| website     = {{url|samkinison.org}}
| footnotes   =
}}
'''Samuel Burl Kinison''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɪ|n|ɪ|s|ən}} {{respell|KIN|iss|ən}}; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American [[Stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]] and actor. A former [[Pentecostal]] [[preacher]], he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinctive scream, similar to [[Charismatic_Christianity|charismatic]] preachers.  Initially performing for free, Kinison became a regular fixture at [[The Comedy Store]], where he met and eventually befriended such comics as [[Robin Williams]] and [[Jim Carrey]]. Kinison's comedy was crass 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]]''. At the peak of his career in early 1992, he was killed in a car crash, aged 38. 

Kinison received a Grammy nomination in 1988 for the single "[[Wild Thing (The Troggs song)#Other versions|Wild Thing]]" from his ''[[Have You Seen Me Lately?]]'' album, and a posthumous win in 1994 for Best Spoken Comedy Album, ''[[Live from Hell]]''.<ref name="Grammy">{{cite web|url= https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/sam-kinison/3786|title=Artist Sam Kinison|work=Grammy.com|access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref><ref name="TVGuide">{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sam-kinison/bio/210509/|title=Sam Kinison |work=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref>

==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"/>

==Career==
Kinison began his career in [[Houston|Houston, Texas]], where he performed in small clubs. He became a member of a comedic group at the [[Comedy Workshop]], known as the [[Texas Outlaw Comics]], that included [[Bill Hicks]], [[Ron Shock]], Riley Barber, Steve Epstein, Andy Huggins, John Farneti,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://recoverycomedy.com/promo-andy-huggins.html |title=Recovery Comedy is proud to present Andy Huggins |publisher=Recovery Comedy |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> and Jimmy Pineapple.<ref name="gq" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://recoverycomedy.com/promo-jimmy-pineapple.html |title=Recovery Comedy is proud to present Jimmy Pineapple |publisher=Recovery Comedy |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> Hicks cited Kinison as a major influence on his comedic style, noting that "He was the first guy I ever saw to go on stage and not in any way ask the audience to like him."<ref name="gq" /> In 1980, Kinison moved to [[Los Angeles]] hoping to find work at [[The Comedy Store]], but was first employed as a doorman. He soon developed a cocaine and alcohol addiction, quickly progressing to [[freebasing cocaine]], and struggled to gain a foothold in the business until his brother Bill moved to Los Angeles to help manage his career.<ref name="gq" />

His big break came on [[HBO]]'s ''Rodney Dangerfield's Ninth Annual Young Comedians Special'' in August 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6069058/ |title=Kinison: The Scream Continues (2016) |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=November 12, 2016}}</ref> After noting the performance of [[Bob Nelson (comedian)|Bob Nelson]], reviewer [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "the most interesting of the other eight comedians is the savagely funny Sam Kinison. Mr. Kinison specializes in a grotesque animalist howl that might be described as the primal scream of the married man."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/02/arts/nine-comedians-appear-on-dangerfield-special.html |title=Nine Comedians Appear On Dangerfield Special |work=[[The New York Times]] |author-link=Stephen Holden |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=August 2, 1985 |access-date=February 27, 2015}}</ref> Kinison would later appear in Rodney Dangerfield's film ''[[Back to School (film)|Back to School]]'' in 1986.

In Kinison's debut television appearance on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' in 1985, [[David Letterman|Letterman]]'s introduction of Kinison warned his audience, "Brace yourselves. I'm not kidding. Please welcome Sam Kinison."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_VURr6jnWQ |title=Sam Kinison First Appearance on Letterman |date=June 3, 2006 |publisher=YouTube |access-date= May 19, 2014}}</ref> Kinison played on his former role as a Bible-preaching evangelist, taking satirical and sacrilegious shots at the [[Bible]], [[Christianity]] and famous Christian evangelist scandals of his day. Kinison's daring comedy helped shoot him to stardom.<ref name="biography" /> On several videos of his stand-up routines, a shot of the personalized license plate on his 1986 [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/news/archive/2007/apr/12/sam-kinisons-wild-ride/|title=Sam Kinison's Wild Ride - Las Vegas Weekly|website=lasvegasweekly.com|date=April 12, 2007 }}</ref> reveals the words "EX REV". He was associated with the Los Angeles rock music scene and was occasionally accompanied by a touring band.<ref>''Sam Kinison'', ''Biography Channel'', December 28, 2008.</ref>

[[File:Sam Kinison.jpg|thumb|Kinison in the 1980s|alt=Kinison with his mouth agape]]

[[Howard Stern]] purchased the film rights to Kinison's biography, written by Kinison's brother, at one point (2008) reporting that [[HBO]] would make ''Brother Sam'' with Kinison being played by [[Dan Fogler]].<ref name="BioPic">{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/brother-sam-set-for-hbo-1117996022/ |title='Brother Sam' set for HBO |first=Michael |last=Fleming |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=November 17, 2008 |access-date= January 22, 2018}}</ref> In an interview with Sam's brother and manager Bill Kinison, Bill mentioned film deals that were in development at the time of his death; one such deal was a film with [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], and another with [[Rick Moranis]].<ref>Harris, Bill. [http://www.bullz-eye.com/entertainment/interviews/2009/bill_kinison.htm "A Chat with Bill Kinison"]. Bullz-Eye.com. January 13, 2009.</ref>

==Personal life==
In May 1988, his youngest brother, Kevin, shot himself at the age of 28, which devastated Sam.<ref>[https://ew.com/article/1992/06/12/we-remember-sam-kinison/ We remember Sam Kinison | EW.com]</ref>

Kinison acquired much of his material from his first two marriages, to Patricia Adkins (1975–1980) and Terry Marze (1981–1989). He began a relationship with dancer Malika Souiri<!-- https://www.facebook.com/malika.borghese/ https://ny411.com/listing/malika-borghese --> toward the end of his marriage with Marze.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Souiri |first1=Sabrina |title=PTSD Awareness Podcast and Raw Story Telling |url=https://www.sabrinasouiri.com/ |website=Sabrina Souiri .com |access-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824102335/https://www.sabrinasouiri.com/ |archive-date=24 August 2018}}</ref><ref name="alamy/412239677">{{cite web |last1=Dominguez |first1=Ralph\ |title=Sam Kinison, sister Sabrina Kinison and wife Malika Souiri (right) attend the 17th Annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium |url=https://www.alamy.com/sam-kinison-sister-sabrina-kinson-and-wife-malika-souiri-right-attend-the-17th-annual-american-music-awards-on-january-22-1990-at-the-shrine-auditorium-in-los-angeles-california-credit-ralph-dominguezmediapunch-image412239677.html |website=alamy.com |access-date=31 October 2023 |location=Los Angeles, California |language=en |date=January 22, 1990}}</ref><ref name="lasvegasweekly/Kinison-Oral-History">
*{{cite news |last1=Seabaugh |first1=Julie |title=Oral history of Sam Kinison 1: AAAHHH! AAAHHH! |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/news/archive/2007/may/09/aaahhh-aaahhh/ |access-date=31 October 2023 |work=Las Vegas Weekly |date=May 9, 2007}}
*{{cite news |last1=Seabaugh |first1=Julie |title=Oral history of Sam Kinison 2: Wild Ride |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/news/archive/2007/apr/12/sam-kinisons-wild-ride/ |access-date=31 October 2023 |work=Las Vegas Weekly |quote=Sabrina Stephan (formerly Souiri), comic and Vegas native: Initially (sister Malika and I) were bored on tour, so I came up with a shtick to get us on the show. I go, "He has a water glass. Notice?" She goes, "Yeah, so?" I go, "We're Vegas performers. We can do this." So he reaches for his water glass and it's not there. He looks in the wings and me and Malika are dressed in these ridiculous costumes. I came out with the pitcher; she comes out with the glass. We did it all showy, like the Arabs do, you know, they pour the water high. And he's like, "Malika and Sabrina, ladies and gentlemen!" Then he's like, "That was just too funny. Let's keep doing it!" The costumes became more outrageous. |date=April 12, 2007}}</ref> In 1990, Souiri alleged she was raped by a man Kinison had hired as a bodyguard while Kinison was asleep in the house.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20118169,00.html |title=Sam Kinison's Girlfriend Claims That While the Comic Slept Off a Hard Night, She Was Being Raped by His Bodyguard |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=July 9, 1990 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> The bodyguard stated that the sex was consensual; the jury deadlocked in the subsequent trial, and the charges were later dropped.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-26-me-3274-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |title=Jury Deadlocks in Kinison Bodyguard's Rape Trial |date=October 26, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/e59fb1bd6ecdd5f940a7c1ca1a8ca18f |title=Charges Dropped Against Kinison's Former Bodyguard |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=February 8, 1991 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> The incident inspired Kinison to try to go straight with Souiri and join an Alcoholics Anonymous chapter; by March 1990 he was saying to audiences that he was no longer getting high.

Kinison frequented rock shows and often hung out with musicians. In May 1991, Kinison got in a fight with guitarist [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] at a hotel after Slash missed a planned appearance at one of Kinison's shows. Slash stated that Kinison nearly "choked [him] to death" before Slash's bandmate [[Duff McKagan]] intervened. Slash and McKagan declined to press charges after the incident.<ref>[https://www.a-4-d.com/t4996-that-time-when-sam-kinison-choked-slash-and-duff-saved-his-life slash Duff sam]</ref>

On April 4, 1992, six days before his death, Kinison married Souiri at the Candlelight Chapel in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref name="pjs-called" /> They honeymooned in [[Hawaii]] for five days before returning home to [[Los Angeles]] on April 10 to prepare for a show that night at the [[Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino|Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino]] in [[Laughlin, Nevada]].<ref name="lat-shocked" />

Souiri sued Kinison's brother, Bill, in 1995 for allegedly defaming her in his book ''Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison''. Souiri sued Bill Kinison a second time in 2009, alleging he forged Sam's will but claiming she did not discover the fact until 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Kinison-Widow-Sues-Brother-in-Law-Over-Book-3038143.php |title=Kinison Widow Sues Brother-in-Law Over Book |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=April 7, 1995 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tmz.com/2009/06/23/sam-kinisons-widow-cries-fraud/ |title=Sam Kinison's Widow Cries Fraud |date=June 23, 2009 |publisher=[[TMZ]]| access-date=January 12, 2018}}</ref>

In February 2011, the ''[[Toronto Sun]]'' reported that Kinison had fathered a child with the wife of his best friend and opening act, Carl LaBove, who had been paying child support for the girl for nearly 13 years. LaBove filed legal papers claiming the girl was Kinison's and [[Genetic testing|DNA tests]] taken from Kinison's brother Bill show a 99.8% likelihood that Kinison was the father of the unnamed woman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/celebrities/2011/02/19/17337136-wenn-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224022207/http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/celebrities/2011/02/19/17337136-wenn-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 24, 2011 |title=Kinison fathered lovechild, pal says &#124; Celebrities &#124; Entertainment |newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]] |date=February 19, 2011 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>

==Death==
On April 10, 1992, Kinison was driving his [[Pontiac_Firebird_(third_generation)#1989|Pontiac Turbo Trans Am]]<ref name="TransAm">{{cite news|url= https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19920412&slug=1485946 |title= Motorist, 17, Arrested In Death Of Sam Kinison |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=April 12, 1992 |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> when it was struck head-on on Needles Highway northwest of [[Needles, California]] by a pickup truck driven by a juvenile named Troy Pierson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1993/music/news/kinison-album-concert-vid-planned-108281/|title = Kinison album, concert vid planned|date = June 29, 1993}}</ref> Prior to the crash, Pierson had been drinking alcohol.<ref name="NYTcrash">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/12/us/sam-kinison-38-comedian-dies-wife-injured-in-head-on-collision.html |date=April 12, 1992 |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Bruce |last=Lambert |title=Sam Kinison, 38, Comedian, Dies; Wife Injured in Head-On Collision |access-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-14-mn-172-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 14, 1992 |title=Teen in Crash Used Alcohol, CHP Says |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> The pickup truck crossed the center line of the roadway while trying to pass another vehicle and moved into Kinison's lane.<ref name="NYTcrash" /> Kinison and his wife were on their way to [[Laughlin, Nevada]], to perform at a sold-out show at the Riverside Casino.<ref name="lat-shocked">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-12-mn-456-story.html |first=Amy |last=Wallace |date=April 12, 1992 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |title=Friends Shocked by Violent Death of Mellower Kinison |access-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref>

After the crash, Kinison appeared stable, with only minor visible facial wounds.<ref name="lat-shocked"/> He got out of his vehicle and sat down on the side of the road, where he soon died from internal injuries.<ref name="lat-shocked"/> His head had smashed the windshield, because he was not wearing his seat belt.<ref name="biography" /> He was 38 years old. His wife received a concussion in the collision but later recovered after being taken directly to a hospital in Needles for treatment.<ref name="TransAm" /> Kinison's last words were reportedly stated to no one in particular at the crash scene as "why now?", then after a pause he asked "but why?", and after another pause, said "okay, okay, okay". A friend who was with him at the time later recalled, "Whatever voice was talking to him gave him the right answer and he just relaxed with it".<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-12-mn-456-story.html LA Times]</ref>

An autopsy found that Kinison sustained multiple traumatic injuries, including a dislocation in the cervical spine, a torn aorta, and torn blood vessels in his abdominal cavity, which resulted in his death within a few minutes of the crash.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Celebs/kinison,%20sam_report.pdf |title=Sam Kinison Autopsy Report |access-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-29-mn-346-story.html |title=Tranquilizers, Cocaine Found in Kinison's System |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 29, 1992 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>Carroll, Larry. ''Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?''. 1998. Pacific Sundog Productions, Inc.</ref> 

Pierson pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 300&nbsp;hours of community service. Pierson also had his driver's license suspended for two years in connection with the collision.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/1993/music/news/kinison-album-concert-vid-planned-108281/ |title=Kinison album, concert vid planned |newspaper=Variety |date=June 29, 1993 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> 

On April 15, 1992, at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in Burbank, California, a funeral service was held.<ref name="gettyimages/kinisons-service">{{cite web |title=Sam Kinisons Funeral Service |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/sam-kinisons-funeral-service |website=[[Getty Images]] |access-date=31 October 2023 |location=Burbank, California |date=April 15, 1992}}</ref> Kinison's body was buried in a family grave plot at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His gravestone is inscribed, "In another time and place he would have been called prophet".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=6128d334-753b-411b-aa30-23497ab34bfc&gid=3 |title=Sam Kinison |publisher=Waymarking.com |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Comedian [[George Carlin]]'s eighth HBO stand-up comedy special, ''[[Jammin' in New York]]'', was dedicated to Kinison's memory. At the beginning of the broadcast, the words: "This show is for SAM" appeared on the screen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk-oAWH_W6c |title=George Carlin - Jammin' In New York Part1 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=May 31, 2017}}</ref>

After his death, Kinison was fondly remembered by his friends and costars. [[Ozzy Osbourne]] said: {{cquote|Apparently when Sam had the accident, I heard he got out of the car and looked up to the heavens and said, 'I don't want to die,' and then just said, 'Oh, okay,' and laid down and died. It sounds crazy and will probably offend a lot of my fans, but I believe there's a [[higher power]]. Some people may think Sam Kinison's in one place, but I know where he is. He's upstairs; he's next to [[God]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.digitaljournal.com/blog/1395#ixzz3T076UaMb |title=Sam Kinison |work= Digital Journal |first= Gloria | last= Scott |date= November 11, 2008 |access-date= February 27, 2015}}</ref>}}

On May 23, 1993, [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] aired a special, ''A Tribute to Sam Kinison''.<ref>Dennis McLellan, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-29-ol-28462-story.html Carrying on the Teachings: Carl LaBove Worked a Lot With, and Learned a Lot From, Sam Kinison], ''Los Angeles Times'' (April 29, 1993). Retrieved October 16, 2012.</ref> The special contained archival footage of Kinison and stand-up comedy performances by comedians including [[Robin Williams]], [[Rodney Dangerfield]], and [[Jim Carrey]].<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324325/ A Tribute to Sam Kinison], from IMDb. Retrieved October 16, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-uSygYxe4g |title=A Tribute to Sam Kinison (Part 1 of 5) |date=August 16, 2009 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>

Between 2008 and 2013, there were some press releases regarding a possible dramatic film to be based on the memoir ''Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison'', by Kinison's brother Bill Kinison and Steve Delsohn.<ref name="BioPic" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/hbos-sam-kinison-biopic-now-heading-big-screen-22595/ |title=HBO's Sam Kinison Biopic Now Heading for the Big Screen |first=Jeff |last= Sneider |work=[[TheWrap]] |date= November 17, 2010 |access-date=January 22, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Josh Gad to Headline Kinison |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=107384 |work=[[ComingSoon.net]] |first= Silas |last= Lesnick |date=August 5, 2013 |access-date=January 12, 2018}}</ref>

Kinison's comedy was at times accused of containing [[misogyny]] and [[homophobia]], according to a retrospective on Kinison's career in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vanderknyff |first=Rick |date=September 5, 1992 |title=It's a Far Cry From Sobbing |work=Los Angeles Times |issn=0458-3035 }}</ref> For example, the group [[Queer Nation#Nebraska|Queer Nation Nebraska]] demonstrated on a sidewalk in front of a Kinison show in [[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]] in February 1991, chanting "Anti-woman, anti-gay, Sam Kinison go away!"<ref>{{cite news |last=Maureen |first=Bogues |date=February 19, 1991 |title=Family entertainment Kinison-style, isn't |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/311310076/ |work=[[The Lincoln Star]]}}</ref>
 
His ''Have You Seen Me Lately?'' album carried a disclaimer sticker stating "The Material On This Album Does Not Reflect The Views Or Opinions Of Warner Bros. Records." Employees at Warner Brothers requested that their bosses not release it due to the controversial material on Kinison's first album.<ref name="Sticker">{{cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-devil-and-sam-kinison-63844/ |title= The Devil and Sam Kinison|last=Handelman |first=David|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=February 23, 1989 |access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref>
 
In a 2016 article by John Hugar in ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'', Hugar contended that the comedy of past comedians, including Kinison, was not positively embraced by younger generations, perhaps because their material has come to be viewed as anachronistically sexist and misogynistic with time. Hugar noted that a modern reevaluation was complicated by the possibility that Kinison could be considered as playing an intentionally shocking character rather than speaking as himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/07/what-happens-when-once-beloved-comedy-fails-the-test-of-time.html |title=What Happens When Once-Beloved Comedy Fails the Test of Time? |last=Hugar |first=John |date=July 25, 2016 |publisher=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=May 11, 2020 }}</ref>

==Discography==
===Albums===
*''[[Louder Than Hell (Sam Kinison album)|Louder Than Hell]]'' (1986)
*''Breaking The Rules'' (1987)
*''[[Have You Seen Me Lately?]]'' (1988) - [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Gold{{Certification Cite Ref |region=United States |artist=Sam Kinison |refname="RIAA" |accessdate=December 7, 2023}}
*''[[Leader of the Banned]]'' (1990)
*''[[Live from Hell]]'' (1993)

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of singles, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Sam+Kinison&titel=Wild+Thing&cat=s|title=Sam Kinison – Wild Thing|website=australian-charts.com|access-date=August 17, 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Wild Thing (The Troggs song)|Wild Thing]]"
| 1988
| 19
| ''Have You Seen Me Lately?''
|}

==Filmography==
===Film===
*''Savage Dawn'' (1985)
*''[[Back to School]]'' (1986)
*''[[Three Amigos]]'' (1986) (scenes deleted)
*''[[Pauly Shore Is Dead]]'' (2004) (archive footage)
*''I Am Sam Kinison'' (2017) (Documentary)

===Television===
*''Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special'' (1985)
*''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (1985–1986, guest performer; 1986, host)
*''Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me'' (1986)
*''Rodney Dangerfield: Opening Night at Rodney's Place'' (1989, guest star)
*''[[Married... with Children]]'' (1989, guest star)
*''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' (1990, guest star)
*''[[Charlie Hoover]]'' (1991, as Hugh)
*''[[In Living Color]]'' (Season 3, Episode 7, closing skit, Sunday, Nov. 3, 1991)
*''[[Fox New Year's Eve specials|Fox New Year's Eve Live: 1992]]'' (1991–1992, co-host)

===Other appearances and music videos===
* ''Live in a Rusted Out Garage'' concert video, Neil Young (1986) (Extended Cameo)
* ''Breaking the Rules'' (1987) (HBO Special)
*  "[[Wild Thing (The Troggs song)|Wild Thing]]" music video, Sam Kinison (1988)
* "[[Bad Medicine (song)|Bad Medicine]]" music video, Bon Jovi (1988) (Cameo)
* "[[Under My Thumb]]" music video, Sam Kinison (1989)
* "[[Kickstart My Heart]]" music video, Mötley Crüe (1989) (Cameo)
* "The Kids Goes Wild" music video, Babylon A.D. (1989) (Voice Over)
* "The Walk" music video, Cherry St. (1989) (Cameo)
* "[[Mississippi Queen]]" music video, Sam Kinison (1990)
* "Heartbeat" music video, D'Priest (1990) (Cameo)
* "What Do I Have to Do" music video, Kylie Minogue (1991) (Voice Over)
* ''[[Family Entertainment Hour]]'' (1991)
* ''Unleashed'' (2006) Sam Kinison Banned Live at Felt Forum NYC 1990

== Further reading ==
*{{cite magazine |last1=Handelman |first1=David |title=The Devil and Sam Kinison |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-devil-and-sam-kinison-63844/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=23 February 1989 |page=1}}
:*{{cite magazine |last1=Handelman |first1=David |title=The Devil and Sam Kinison |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-devil-and-sam-kinison-63844/2/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=23 February 1989 |page=2}}
:*{{cite magazine |last1=Handelman |first1=David |title=The Devil and Sam Kinison |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-devil-and-sam-kinison-63844/3/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=23 February 1989 |page=3}}
:*{{cite magazine |last1=Handelman |first1=David |title=The Devil and Sam Kinison |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-devil-and-sam-kinison-63844/4/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=23 February 1989 |page=4}}
* {{cite news |url=http://www.ozy.com/good-sht/the-unholy-gospel-of-sam-kinison/72338 |title=The Unholy Gospel of Sam Kinison |last=Brasswell |first=Sean |date=October 20, 2016 |work=OZY |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021021105/https://www.ozy.com/good-sht/the-unholy-gospel-of-sam-kinison/72338/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016 |access-date=February 27, 2023}}
*{{cite book |last1=Kinison |first1=Bill |last2=Delsohn |first2=Steve |title=Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison |date=1994 |publisher=Morrow |isbn=978-0-688-12634-6 |language=en}}<!--  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsvH_zAk9OA  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxl0f_IYEs0  --><ref name="Malika-V-William">{{cite web |title=Malika Kinison, et al v. William Morrow & Company, et al :: Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles :: State Civil Lawsuit No. BC125308 |url=https://www.plainsite.org/dockets/2qgmyls4d/superior-court-of-california-county-of-los-angeles/malika-kinison-et-al-v-william-morrow-and-company-et-al/ |website=plainsite.org |access-date=31 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="tmz/widow-cries-fraud">{{cite news |title=Sam Kinison's Widow Cries Fraud |url=https://www.tmz.com/2009/06/23/sam-kinisons-widow-cries-fraud/ |access-date=31 October 2023 |work=[[TMZ]] |language=en}}</ref>
*{{cite book |last1=Lamar |first1=Steve |title=SAM and ME: The Week I Spent a Year with Sam Kinison |date=31 October 2017 |publisher=Independently Published |isbn=978-1-5499-6478-7 |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last1=Hart |first1=Rick |title=Lines on the Bar ... Whiskey on the Rocks |date=25 February 2010 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=978-1-4500-5138-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iITDt5DeGb4C&q=Kinison |access-date=31 October 2023 |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last1=Wahl |first1=Greg |last2=Bobbitt |first2=Charles |title=It Didn't Play in Peoria: Missed Chances of a Middle American Town |date=1 July 2009 |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7385-2570-9 |page=81 |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last1=Milman |first1=Harry A. |title=Forensics: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous People |date=29 October 2020 |isbn=978-1-6641-3621-2 |page=7 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |language=en}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{official website}}
*[http://www.kinison.com A Multimedia Tribute to the Life and Comedy of Sam Kinison]
*{{find a Grave}}
*{{IMDb name}}
*[http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/bill_kinison.htm Interview with Bill Kinison]

{{Sam Kinison|state=expanded}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinison, Sam}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
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