Accusations of Plagiarism of Bill Hicks
For many years, Leary had been friends with fellow comedian Bill Hicks. However, when Hicks heard No Cure For Cancer, he felt that Leary had stolen his act. The friendship ended abruptly as a result. Several comedians have publicly stated they believe Leary stole Hicks' persona and attitude, in addition to his material. Jokes on the album about Keith Richards, Judas Priest, smoking and good men dying young are frequently cited as bearing similarities to Hicks' routines.
In the August 2006 Playboy, an interviewer told Leary "Much has been written about you and comedian Bill Hicks...People have accused you of appropriating his persona and material." Leary replied:
| “ | That's a great story that people like to latch onto...Very quickly we got New York club owners saying, 'You guys are too alike,' while I was saying, 'What are they fucking talking about?' It's the same approach to the subject maybe, but it's not the same act...But as I've said many times, a fable is sometimes better than the truth." | ” |
According to Cynthia True's biography American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story, after listening to No Cure For Cancer, Hicks was furious. "All these years, aside from the occasional jibe, he had pretty much shrugged off Leary's lifting. Comedians borrowed, stole stuff and even bought bits from one another. Milton Berle and Robin Williams were famous for it. This was different. Leary had, practically line for line, taken huge chunks of Bill's act and recorded it."
Read more about this topic: No Cure For Cancer
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