Samuel Burl Kinison (/ˈkɪnɪsən/ KIN-iss-ən; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor.

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.

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.

[citation needed] Kinison began his career in 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,[9] and Jimmy Pineapple.

[7][10] 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.

"[7] In 1980, Kinison moved to Los Angeles hoping to find work at The Comedy Store, but was first employed as a doorman.

[7] His big break came on HBO's Rodney Dangerfield's Ninth Annual Young Comedians Special in August 1985.

[11] After noting the performance of 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.

[3] On several videos of his stand-up routines, a shot of the personalized license plate on his 1986 Corvette[14] reveals the words "EX REV".

[4] 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 and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada.

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.

[32][33] The pickup truck crossed the center line of the roadway while trying to pass another vehicle and moved into Kinison's lane.

[39] Kinison's body was buried in a family grave plot at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

[40] Comedian George Carlin's eighth HBO stand-up comedy special, Jammin' in New York, was dedicated to Kinison's memory.

[43] The special contained archival footage of Kinison and stand-up comedy performances by comedians including Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, and Jim Carrey.

Employees at Warner Brothers requested that their bosses not release it due to the controversial material on Kinison's first album.

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.