Few comedians attracted a cult following like that of Bill Hicks, who died on 26 February, 1994, aged just 32.

He devoted his career to attacking the American dream and the hypocritical values of society. His material was highly politically charged and often controversial. He infamously said: "Hitler had the right idea, he was just an underachiever".

Mr Hicks’ following was more cult than commercial, but he refused to compromise his material. He won over audiences and critics with his unflinchingly honest observations and passionate delivery.

Although his career lasted barely 15 years, he enjoyed great success and his popularity has been enduring. He will be remembered as a unique and important voice in comedy history.

William Melvin Hicks was born on 16 December, 1961 in Georgia, USA. As a child he would emulate Woody Allen and write comedy routines with his friend.

At the age of 17, he began performing at Houston’s Comedy Workshop whilst still at high school. His act was a success and he was given a weekly slot. In 1980 he moved to Los Angeles and became a regular performer at the Hollywood Comedy Store.

He returned to Houston in 1982 to set up his own production company and resumed his act at the Comedy Workshop.

He enjoyed a steady rise to fame, peaking with his 1984 appearance on the David Letterman Show. He made a strong impression and made a further 11 appearances.

In 1987, he moved to New York and worked prolifically, doing 300 performances a year for the next five years. From 1990 he made several visits to the UK and Ireland where he established a massive fan-base.

But his substance abuse escalated with his fame. In 1988, he claimed he had recovered from his addictions, but his material remained based on anecdotes from his drug and alcohol experiences.

He became famous for his passionate rants that often led to accusations of misanthropy. Mr Hicks could be volatile on stage, often fueled by substance abuse. He even had legs and ribs broken by offended audience members.

In 1993, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while on tour in Australia. He moved back to his parents’ house and rang his friends to say goodbye before he stopped speaking on 14 February, 1994. He died on 26 February.

Mr Hicks’ was an incredibly driven performer, touring relentlessly. He worked compulsively even throughout his illness and enjoyed great success in his tragically short career.

In 2007, he was voted number six in a Channel 4 poll of "The Top 100 Stand Up Comedians of All Time". He always appears in the top percentage in polls such as The Comedian’s Comedian and the Greatest Stand-up.

He continues to influence generations of comedians and has maintained a cult following. He has also been recognised as a major political voice. In 2004, British MP Stephen Pound described him as an “unflinching and painfully honest political philosopher”.

But with his characteristic honest sarcasm, Mr Hicks simply described his vocation as: “staring out at your vacant faces looking back at me, wanting me to fill your empty lives with humour you couldn't possibly think of yourselves”.