17. Sam Kinison
Sam Kinison was a very special guy. He was this stand-up comedian who never pulled any punches and whose performances still stand as some of the greatest in the history of American stand-up. His previous experience as a Pentecostal preacher gave him stamina and control over his audience and his unique way of thinking supplied him with an inexhaustible supply of material.
He lived his life the way he wanted, a life usually led only by rock stars. In short, he never cared too much about what he put in himself, from copious amounts of alcohol to all drugs under known to man.
He was killed in a car accident in 1992 when a drunk 17-year old crossed into Sam’s lane in his pickup truck driving into his Trans Am. Sam’s last words were “Why now? I don’t want to die. Why?”