Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison

As I write this review, I'm sitting here listening to an old tape of Sam Kinison appearing on Howard Stern's radio show with Malika and Amy Lynn in 1991. It's hard to believe that the upcoming April 10, 2006 will mark 14 years since the world lost its last true comic genius. In BROTHER SAM, penned by his brother and fellow preacher Bill Kinison, Sam's life from the humble beginning to the tragic end is recalled in full detail by a man who was by his side for the vast majority of it. While many books about standup comics turn into a simple recount of every but they'd ever performed by the halfway point, BROTHER SAM is different. All of the familiar names from Kinison folklore are here: Seka, Malika and Sabrina, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Rodney Dangerfield, Howard Stern, Jessica Hahn... the list goes on. While the public perception of Sam is that of a screaming renegade former preacher that ridicules Jesus and runs around high and/or liquored up 24/7, Bill tells a vastly different story. Sam is presented as a man who is not perfect but loved those around him. He loves God just as he did while in the ministry but hates the hypocrisy of the Jim Bakker's and Jimmy Swaggert's of the world of money-hungry religion. He did drugs, drank like a fish, and had more women in his bed than most men could ever imagine, and yet after a couple of health scares in 1990 and 1991 he made the effort to slow down, reinvent himself, and turn his life around. As a Kinison fan who has several of the classic bits virtually memorized, reading the final chapter entitled "Sounds of Silence" was incredibly difficult. It's in those final pages that Bill recounts his eyewitness account of Sam's final hours of life, including the head-on collision that took his life. The ironic twist is that the driver who struck Sam's car was, in fact, a teenaged drunk driver... and it's that fact that resonates with every Kinison fan to this day. Sam's impact remains with everyone who ever enjoyed his work. When we see the commercials for hunger organizations, we all think (or say), "There wouldn't be world hunger if you people lived where the FOOD IS! YOU LIVE IN A DESERT! NOTHING GROWS OUT HERE!". We still fire off an occasional "Oh OOHHHHHHHHHHHH!" for no good reason when we see something that provides us with proper motivation. He was one of a kind. He was a legend. He is truly missed. Thanks Sam.

Reading this book written by one of the peple that knew Sam Kinison better than anyone else -his brother- shows a side of Sam that many of his devoted fans had only a faint idea existed. It brought home the great loss the world of comedy experienced by his passing and how much we wish he could still be aong us to comment on the things that are happening. A true literary jewel.

Sam Kinison is a brilliant comidian that we will miss.This book brings back memories for all of us fans of his.Skillfully told by his own brother this is a true gem. ENJOY!

As someone who owns all of Sam's albums, has a copy of all his video-taped stand-up shows and was an avid follower of his wild life, personal hijinks and scandalous ways, there were still questions that I asked which could never truthfully be answered--until I read this book. Bill Kinison offers insight about his brother that really opens your eyes to WHO Sam was and WHAT drove him. There are also several stories and valid reasons offered as to why Sam befriended certain celebrities, was at odds with some and literally *hated* others. All that was behind his relationships with Seka, Jessica Hawn and the lovely Malika--who would later become his wife--is explained in sharp, vivid detail. In this person's humble opinion, a MUST-READ! for anyone who considers themselves any kind of a Sam Kinison fan!