Sam Kinison Net Worth - Pulptastic

Publish date: 2023-12-19

What was Sam Kinison’s net worth?

Sam Kinison, the American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, had a net worth of $800 thousand at the time of his death in 1992. Kinison was known for his politically incorrect humor and was once a Pentecostal preacher.

During his career, Kinison released several comedy albums and starred in comedy specials such as “Sam Kinison: Breaking the Rules” and “Sam Kinison: Live in Vegas.” He also appeared in movies, including “Back to School” and “Savage Dawn,” and on television shows such as “Married… with Children” and “Tales from the Crypt.”

Tragically, Kinison died in a car accident at the age of 38. His legacy continues to inspire and entertain audiences to this day.

Early Life and Career

Sam Kinison was born in Yakima, Washington in 1953. His father was a Pentecostal preacher and the family moved around the U.S. frequently. At the age of 11, his parents divorced and Kinison was angry that his brother went to live with their father. Kinison attended high school in Illinois and studied at a Bible training center in New York in the late ’60s. He became a preacher from the ages of 17 to 24, but eventually turned to comedy after getting divorced in 1980. He stated, “I got divorced, which was not a good thing for a revivalist minister. It did not go down well.” Kinison added, “I’d already been banned from a couple churches for my jokes. So one day I woke up and decided it was time to start living for myself.”

Sam Kinison’s Comedy Career

Sam Kinison began performing at small clubs in Houston, Texas, as a member of the Texas Outlaw Comics at the Comedy Workshop. He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and worked as a doorman at The Comedy Store before being allowed to perform there. Kinison’s big break came in 1985 when he appeared on “Rodney Dangerfield’s Ninth Annual Young Comedians Special,” which aired on HBO. He later appeared in Dangerfield’s 1986 film “Back to School” and on “Saturday Night Live” several times. Kinison released his first comedy album, “Louder Than Hell,” in 1986, and it was followed by the 1987 special “Breaking the Rules.” In 1988, he released a music video of a cover of the Troggs hit “Wild Thing,” which earned him his first Grammy nomination. Kinison’s final album, the Grammy-winning “Live from Hell,” was released a year after his death. In 1999, the documentary “Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?” was released, and it won awards at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival and New York International Independent Film & Video Festival. In 1994, Bill Kinison published the book “Brother Sam: The Short Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison,” which is described as “the first full-scale, no-holds-barred portrait of the outrageous rock & roll comic.”

Sam Kinison’s Personal Life

Sam Kinison struggled with drug and alcohol abuse throughout his life. The owner of The Comedy Store refused to let him back in the club unless he went to rehab after a drunken rampage. Kinison married Patricia Adkins in 1975 and Terry Marze in 1981, but they divorced in 1989 after he began an affair with dancer Malika Souiri. In 1990, Souiri accused Kinison’s bodyguard of rape, but the charges were eventually dropped. Kinison and Souiri married in 1992, but their marriage ended tragically just six days later.

It was reported in 2011 that Kinison had fathered a daughter with his best friend’s then-wife in the ’80s. Kinison’s opening act, Carl LaBove, had been paying child support for close to 13 years. Carl filed legal papers claiming that he was not the biological father of his daughter after DNA tests showed a 99.8% likelihood that Sam was the father.

Sam Kinison’s Tragic Death

On April 10, 1992, Sam Kinison was driving on Needles Highway in California with Malika when their car was hit head-on by 17-year-old Troy Pierson, who had been drinking. Kinison died at the scene at the age of 38, and Malika was injured but recovered after treatment at a hospital in Needles. Kinison’s brother and friend, who were following close behind, reported that he was conscious immediately after the accident and seemed to be having a conversation with an unseen person before passing away. Autopsy results revealed he suffered several injuries, including a torn aorta and dislocated spine. Pierson was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, pleaded guilty, and received a year of probation, 300 hours of community service, and a two-year license suspension. Kinison was buried in Tulsa’s Memorial Park Cemetery, and his gravestone reads, “In another time and place he would have been called prophet.”

Grammy Nominations and Wins

Sam Kinison received two Grammy nominations during his career, one of which was awarded posthumously. In 1990, he was nominated for Best Comedy Recording for “Wild Thing.” Five years after his death, “Live From Hell” won the Grammy for Best Spoken Comedy Album in 1995.