Unknown Hinson
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| Unknown Hinson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Stuart Daniel Baker |
| Origin | North Carolina, United States |
| Genre(s) | Country, Psychobilly, Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Voice actor |
| Years active | 1993 — present |
| Label(s) | Uniphone Records Capitol Records Coffin Case Records |
| Associated acts | Squidbillies |
| Website | UnknownHinson.com |
Stuart Daniel Baker, better known by his stage name, Unknown Hinson, is a musician, songwriter, and voice actor on the Adult Swim cartoon Squidbillies.
Contents |
[edit] The Character
Baker has carefully cultivated his alter-ego. Much like Andy Kaufman's alter-ego, Tony Clifton, Unknown Hinson never breaks character in public and adamantly denies having any connection to Danny Baker.
[edit] Persona
Unknown Hinson, dressed in his signature rodeo tailor coat and black ribbon necktie, is a dark parody of the country western stars from the early/mid 20th century. With his glued on sideburns, blacked out front teeth, and dark hair slicked back to reveal a prominent widows peak, he has been referred to as the "hillbilly vampire".
The self-proclaimed "king of country-western troubadours" speaks and sings with an exaggerated southern drawl, commonly mis-pronouncing words like woman "womern", and window "winder".
Hinson's personality is that of a hell raising and hard drinking country-western singer with a preference for "party liquor", sexy women, and fine guitars.
[edit] Fictional Background
Unknown Hinson was an only child, named after his father “says right there on my birth certificate - Mama: Miss Hinson. Daddy: Unknown.” and raised by his mother, who gave him his first guitar. After his mother’s mysterious disappearance, Unknown ran off and joined the circus as part of the sideshow, where he learned how to lift 50-pound weights with his tongue, among various other skills.
Later, Hinson was imprisoned for 30 years, convicted of various trumped-up charges, including three counts of murder, 19 paternity suits, vampirism and random grave-robbing offenses. He was released in 1993 to reclaim his long-denied musical legacy.
[edit] Origins
Stuart Daniel Baker, a music teacher and studio musician from Albemarle, North Carolina, created his alter-ego for The Wild Wild South, a Charlotte area public-access program that featured comedy sketches and concert footage. Baker along with co-star Don Swan played the characters of Unknown Hinson and Rebel Helms. After Swan's death in 1992, Baker created "The Unknown Hinson Show", a direct spin-off of "The Wild Wild South". The Unknown Hinson Show won Creative Loafing's "Best Of" poll for Best Public-Access Television Show four years in a row.[1]
After the series ended, Baker continued in his role as Unknown Hinson, performing live concerts and releasing several recordings.
[edit] Music
[edit] Live performer
As a live performer, Unknown Hinson has been known to tour for months at a time. He has shared the stage with many notable rockabilly, Country, and psychobilly acts such as The Reverend Horton Heat, Marty Stuart, and Hank III, to name a few.
He is an accomplished and respected performer with a strong cult following and many high-profile fans, including Billy Bob Thornton and Matt Groening. Hank III, grandson of Hank Williams, has Unknown's face tattooed on his bicep.[2]
[edit] Recording artist
Unknown Hinson writes his own music, performs live, and produces all of his own recordings. His music often parodies the dark elements of today's country and redneck culture.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 21 Chart-toppers | Uniphone |
| 2000 | The Future Is Unknown | Uniphone |
| 2002 | Rock n Roll Is Straight From Hell | Capitol |
| 2004 | The Future Is Unknown (re-release) | Capitol |
| 2006 | Target Practice | Coffin Case |
| 2008 | Unknown Hinson: Live and Undead to be released | Coffin Case |
[edit] Voice Acting
Danny Baker provides the voice of Early Cuyler, a balding hillbilly squid from Georgia, on Cartoon Network's late night Adult Swim program, Squidbillies. The Early character has many echoes of Unknown Hinson, including an affinity for guns and liquor, and a "no-nonsense" alpha-male attitude.
[edit] Roles
[edit] Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squidbillies | Early Cuyler | 2005— | 1 | 2 | |||||
[edit] Guest Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect Hair Forever | Early Cuyler | 2004 | 1 | Anime Talk Show |
[edit] Notes
- Baker, Margo. *Unknown Hinson website Retrieved August 21, 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.mountainx.com/ae/1999/1027unknown.php Retrieved November 5, 2007
- ^ http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_RelishArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173353151087 Retrieved November 5, 2007
