Combustible Drifter (Bill Hicks)

For the first time ever on the Famous & Gravy podcast, we’re featuring a dead celebrity who does NOT have New York Times obituary. We hope to change that. To the extent that Bill Hicks was famous, at least in America, his fame was posthumous. Michael Osborne and producer Jacob Weiss dive into the backstory and explore just how close he came to breakout success – and how his legacy still looms large more than 30 years later. Hicks got sober in 1988, he kept a fatal diagnosis from almost everyone who loved him, and managed to leave an indelible legacy despite dying at age 32

Famous & Gravy is a celebrity biography podcast that asks, "What does this celebrity's life story show us about ourselves?" If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 92 "Acerbic Comedian" (George Carlin) and Episode 19 "Singing Mailman" (John Prine).

LINKS:

Guardian obituary for Bill Hicks

Bill Hicks: Relentless on YouTube

"The Goat Boy Rises" by John Lahr, The New Yorker

American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009)

Bill Hicks: It's Just a Ride (1994)

Bill Hicks's mother watches his censored Letterman set, 2009 — unofficial upload, may get taken down; worth finding a CBS/Letterman-sourced version if one exists

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

Famous & Gravy is created by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was hosted by Michael Osborne and Jacob Weiss, and produced by Jacob Weiss. Original music by Kevin Strang. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com

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