Billy Don't Be A Hero

Don't Be A Fool With Your Life*

Been in Hicksville tonight. Not intentionally but I've had two films from Love Film (the same film actually, not different in any way, no extras, no bonus disc just the same) for a few weeks so I thought I'd better watch and send back so that something else can come. American - The Bill Hicks Story. I've seen a documentary in the past that has almost the same content but this has been assembled quite differently. Wasn't sure how I felt about it but it got much better as it went along.

I saw Bill Hicks at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, November 1992. He's not everyone's cup of tea, not a gentle comedian in any way but I thought it was just wonderful, he raised the roof. I also used to see him mooching about the Meadows a lot one year when the Spiegeltent parked there - maybe that was '92 also?? A good looking boy, I thought. His days of drink and drugs were behind him then, the only vice being cigarettes, lots and lots of cigarettes.

I remember being told by Danny Baker on his Saturday Morning show (Radio 5??) that Bill had died, tragically young at 32, of pancreatic cancer. Very sad.

I dug this book out just now and saw that he would be 49 years old the day after tomorrow.



Billy Don't Be A Hero, Paper Lace, 1974