The Shadowy History Of Unknown Hinson

The true history of the Country/Psychobilly performer known as Unknown Hinson is rather murky, buried in the kind of swampy southern mess that the Hinson-voiced character Early Culver seems to inhabit on the Adult Swim series Squidbillies. Interviews with the self-proclaimed "King of the Country Western Troubadours" all tend to paint a similar strange story: Unknown Hinson was named after his Daddy--it's right there on his birth certificate, "Unknown"--and after his mother disappeared around Hinson's 10th birthday, the whippersnapper ran off and joined the carnival, honing his musical skills while biting the heads off birds and handling snakes. All was going well for the budding musician and circus geek until somebody went and offered him a record contract. It was that offer which led other jealous musicians to frame Hinson for various slanderous criminal charges, which ultimately landed him a 30 year stint in a federal penitentiary all while his rivals made off with his groundbreaking musical sound to lead a life of fame and fortune.

To truly appreciate that story, it helps to remember another unique performer, one from 30 years back: Andy Kaufman. One of the surrealist performer's most questionable stage antics was to perform as a washed-up lounge singer named Tony Clifton, an obnoxious spotlight hog who would curse out Kaufman if ever his name were brought up. Unknown Hinson--while far more talented than the frequently off-key Clifton--seems to have a similar "relationship" with one Stuart Daniel Baker. Hinson claims he met Danny Baker after being released from jail while performing at hospitals and various other institutional facilities as part of his community service. Baker was just some over-enthusiastic fan/inmate he met at one of those places, Hinson has claimed, one that's been stalking him ever since.

In reality, Stuart Daniel Baker had been working as a music teacher and studio musician in North Carolina when in 1992 he created the trademark character of Unknown Hinson for a Charlotte-area public access show, The Wild Wild South. With some fake sideburns, a bedazzled black-and-white western gambler's suit, slicked-back jet black hair and carefully blacked-out bottom teeth that create a vampire-like appearance of fangs, Baker became Unknown Hinson. After Baker's comedic partner on the show Don Swan passed away in 1995, he create his own The Unknown Hinson Show. Around this time Baker began singing and playing guitar in character at clubs with two local musicians who appreciated Baker's antics, bassist Roger "Tiny" Kohrs and drummer Bill "Buddy Boy" Scott. Together the 3 became The Unknown Hinson Showdate Band.

Between the passed-around videos of Hinson's cable shows and highly-successful club performances in the southern US, the band began to develop an enthusiastic cult following. In 1999 and 2000 Hinson released the albums 21 Chart-toppers and The Future is Unknown through the independent Uniphone label. Angelina Joelie flew the band out to California in 2001 for a surprise birthday party for Billy Bob Thornton, a sign that they truly did have a growing base of supporters who understood their brand of twisted country-western. The band released their first EP with Capitol Records in 2002 entitled Rock'n'Roll is Straight From Hell In the fall of that year, Hinson moved the band to California for several months where they performed frequently at clubs through out the Los Angeles area, further cementing their cult status.

Soon the band was playing on tour with acts like The Reverend Horton Heat and Hank Williams III. Another major break came in 2005 when Hinson began voicing the lead character of Early Culver on the animated series Squidbillies, introducing Hinson to an even larger audience. In 2006 Hinson released the album Target Practice through his website, and then the band's first live album Live and Undead in 2008. Hinson won an Independent Music Award for "Best Alternative Country Song" for the track Torture Town in 2009. Currently Hinson is playing sans his trademark outfit with Billy Bob Thorton's band The Boxmasters.

By: Brad Work

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Looking somewhat like Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working as a carnival barker for a second-rate freak show, Unknown Hinson translates that vibe to his style of country and western-tinged psychobilly. Come hear Unknown Hinson at the Shed of Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson dealer in Maryville, TN on Saturday, October 29, at 8pm.