Samuel Burl Kinison (/ˈkɪnɪsÉ™n/; December 8, 1953 â€" April 10,
1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former
Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were
characterized by an intense style, similar to charismatic preachers,
punctuated by his distinctive scream. 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 comedy was a mix of crass humour and observational humour and
his popularity grew quickly, earning him appearances on Late Night
with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live. In 1988 Kinison received
a Grammy nomination for his comedy album.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. The
family moved to East Peoria, Illinois when Kinison was three months
old. 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 he was
11 and his brother Bill went to live with his father while Sam stayed
with the rest of his family against his protestations. Bill described
this as the root of much of Sam's anger. Sam later attended East
Peoria Community High School in East Peoria.Kinison and his brothers
emulated their father by becoming Pentecostal preachers. Kinison
attended Pinecrest Bible Training Center in Salisbury Center, New
York. 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. After he and his first wife
were divorced, he abandoned preaching and took up comedy as a
profession.
1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former
Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were
characterized by an intense style, similar to charismatic preachers,
punctuated by his distinctive scream. 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 comedy was a mix of crass humour and observational humour and
his popularity grew quickly, earning him appearances on Late Night
with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live. In 1988 Kinison received
a Grammy nomination for his comedy album.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. The
family moved to East Peoria, Illinois when Kinison was three months
old. 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 he was
11 and his brother Bill went to live with his father while Sam stayed
with the rest of his family against his protestations. Bill described
this as the root of much of Sam's anger. Sam later attended East
Peoria Community High School in East Peoria.Kinison and his brothers
emulated their father by becoming Pentecostal preachers. Kinison
attended Pinecrest Bible Training Center in Salisbury Center, New
York. 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. After he and his first wife
were divorced, he abandoned preaching and took up comedy as a
profession.
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