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Bill Hicks

War on Drugs (Legalize Pot for a Better World)

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Bill Hicks

Oct. 05, 2000 | William Melvin Hicks was born on December 16th 1961 in Valdosta, Georgia. His family lived in Florida, Alabama and New Jersey before moving to Houston when Bill was 7. There, with friend Dwight Slade (both aged 12), Hicks formed a comedy double act. Bill was bored with the area and mystified by the appeal of living the so-called "American Dream". "One time a friend of mine - we were nine - runs over and goes 'Bill, I just saw some hippies down at the store.' I go 'No way' and he goes 'I swear' and my dad goes 'Get off this property! We don't swear on this property!"

When he was young Bill wanted to be Woody Allen, buying his records and stealing his jokes. At his first stand up gig, a church camp talent show in Houston, Bill did Allen's joke about breastfeeding by a woman with falsies. "People laughed, then looked at me like I was the antichrist." It was an early indication that Bill Hicks had no time for a didactic morality.

In the 1980's and early 90's Bill Hicks made several appearances on national TV shows, starred in the low budget cult film Ninja Bachelor Party, recorded an album of music with his band Marble Head Johnson, and released his first feature-length concert video, "Sane Man." Bill recorded four comedy albums during his lifetime, with "Dangerous" and "Relentless" being released in '90 and '92 to rave reviews, particularly in the UK where he gained a heavy following. Bill Hicks, aged 32, died of pancreatic cancer on February 26, 1994. The albums "Arizona Bay" and "Rant In E-Minor" were issued posthumously as a reminder of Hicks' great talent and inventiveness.

"He was a genius. He was one of the five best comics I've ever seen in my life." --Dennis Miller

"Think of me as Chomsky with dick jokes." --Bill Hicks

"War on Drugs (Legalize Pot for a Better World)" is featured on the Sacred Cow Halloween Special Video, available at Sacred Cow Productions. The Halloween video features various rants and also several segments in which Bill takes calls live on the air.

"War on Drugs (Take 2)" features excerpts from 'Sane Man' which is Bill Hick's legendary feature-length concert video, filmed in Austin, TX, in 1989, and exclusively available from Sacred Cow Productions.

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