Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison

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Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 25 ratings · 2 reviews

"Sam was absolutely fearless," said Robin Williams. "Most people go to the edge and then stop. Not Sam. He'd see the edge and then just keep going. And I think that scream he was famous for was just the sound he made on his way down." Sam Kinison was Lenny Bruce at warp speed. He was not only beyond hip, he was beyond gonzo. He was a white Richard Pryor; a preacher-turned-...more "Sam was absolutely fearless," said Robin Williams. "Most people go to the edge and then stop. Not Sam. He'd see the edge and then just keep going. And I think that scream he was famous for was just the sound he made on his way down." Sam Kinison was Lenny Bruce at warp speed. He was not only beyond hip, he was beyond gonzo. He was a white Richard Pryor; a preacher-turned-comedian; a primal screamer who shrieked for our sins. He was known as the "rock and roll comic" - a burly, volatile high-wire act, calculated to offend, demolishing taboos on national television with brute force. When he lost his life in April 1992 at the age of thirty-eight, behind the wheel of a sports car east of Los Angeles, many of his fans didn't know about his past. The most successful comic of the 1980s was the son of a poor Illinois preacher - an unhappy child from a torn, dysfunctional family, plagued by low self-esteem and fated for disappointment. This first full account of Kinison's whiplashing life is written by the person who lived closest to its subject - Sam's brother, Bill Kinison, a traveling preacher for seventeen years who gave up his vocation to manage Sam's comedy career. Bill covers Sam's checkered early years (Sam, too, spent years as a fire-and-brimstone preacher); his sudden ascent to fame in 1985 and flamboyant life in show business; his personal struggles with liquor, drugs and sexual excess; and the feelings of a brother doomed to take care of a brother born to raise hell. Along the road to stardom the brothers Kinison associated with Hollywood's A list, and Kinison reveals all the compromising positions and rancorous run-ins. Among the supporting cast: Arsenio Hall, Andrew Dice Clay, Elton John, Howard Stern, Lorne Michaels, Mike Ovitz, Robin Williams, David Letterman, Penny Marshall, Eddie Murphy, and a legion of rockstars, groupies, dealers, and leeches. Kinison's outrageous comic sense and his flash-burning career symbolized the out-of-control 1980s; his fame(less)

Hardcover, 315 pages

Published May 28th 1994 by William Morrow & Company (first published 1994)

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Jun 15, 2013 Aer Bluewilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very good read, Kinison was a great comedian. However, after learning more about the man, I don't think he would be someone I cared to be around. This bio by his brother definitely did not endear me to Sam Kinison. But in a way, reading this may of made me understand and like his comedy even better now. I do think he had the potential to be a decent person, unfortunately he passed away just when he was finding his way. I would encourage others to read this book if they like comedy and...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Shawna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

This was a riveting book. Years ago I saw the E! True Hollywood Story on Kinison which gave me an entirely different impresssion of the track the man was on at the time of his fatal car accident. This book revealed that his recent marriage was far from healthy and the man himself was still using drugs. His addictions put the people around him through hell. I can't imagine putting up with all his drama on a daily basis the way his brother did. Sam was a talented and generous guy but in the end I...more

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title link	preview: Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/568700.Brother_Sam?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1271696019l/568700.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/568700.Brother_Sam?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison by Bill Kinison[/url]