Obscure Bill references in the media

Such is Bill's legacy that it has become a common occurrence for Bill to be quoted or his material referenced by writers in all sort's of unusual publications. Sometimes for the most obscure reasons.

Here are two interesting ones this week-

The Economist

Beyond the edge Whatever happens to Greece, the failings of the euro zone have not been addressed

BILL HICKS, a comedian, used to joke that there must be a “ledge beyond the edge”. How else could the survival of Keith Richards be explained? What goes for rock stars also appears to go for Greece, which has been on the brink of a second bail-out package for weeks.

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Chicago Reader

Another sold-out show, another "Freebird!"

At last night's sold-out Heartless Bastards show at Lincoln Hall, the inevitable happened: some dolt hollered "Freebird" during the quiet time between songs of the Bastards' set. His hackneyed shout-out to the nine-minute Skynyrd romp elicited an immediate chorus of boos from what was, all things considered, a pretty mellow crowd, which had till then seemed content to soak up the chill high brought on by Erika Wennerstrom's wailing. The band chuckled at the audience's disgust, and bassist Jesse Ebaugh said something like, "I don't think I've ever heard an entire audience boo one guy like that."

In a 2005 Wall Street Journal piece called "Rock's Oldest Joke: Yelling 'Freebird!' in a Crowded Theater," Jason Fry investigates the inane ritual's origin. At one point he tells the story of an enraged, almost otherworldly freak-out by comedian Bill Hicks during a Chicago show in the early 90s:

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