The Legendary Bill Hicks Faces Mortality and Departs "In Love, Laughter, and in Truth"

Bill Hicks began complaining of pains in the side of his"Hendrix is on harp tonight."
abdomen while touring in Australia in April 1993. HeBill's illness was largely unknown and he continued his
was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on June 16th,act until his truly final performance at Caroline's in
and began receiving weekly chemotherapy. He stillNew York on January 16th, 1994. Immediately after
toured during this time, and recorded his albumhe returned to his parents' house in Little Rock,
Arizona Bay, named after the giddy flight of fancy inArkansas and lived with them. He called his friends
his act about Los Angeles being swallowed by theand bid his farewell to them from their house.
Pacific Ocean.He largely spent time with his parents during his last
After being diagnosed with cancer, he began sayingdays, playing albums of the music he loved and
in his act that each show would be his last show,showing them documentaries that were relevant to
ever, but not because of his illness. Rather, he washis beliefs and interests, which differed greatly from
finally picked up by a network to do a show entitled,their own. On February 14th he stopped speaking,
"Let's Hunt and Kill Billy Ray Cyrus." The title makesand during that time he reread Tolkien's The
his synopsis of the show's 'plot' prettyFellowship of the Ring. He died at 11:20pm on
self-explanatory. He also mused about what wouldFebruary 26th, 1994 in the presence of his parents.
happen to a smoker meeting Peter at the pearlyOf February 7th he wrote a small prayer reflecting
gates, reassuring him that the clouds were in facton his life to be released after his death. The final line
cigarette smoke.reads:
After remarking that listening to all of the"I left in love, laughter, and in truth and wherever
non-smokers in the pit of fire would be "hellish," Petertruth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.
gladly welcomes the smoker into heaven, remarking,