Dave Kane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Dave Kane, born January 26, 1948 , is an American radio talk show host, comedian, performance artist, and author. Kane was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and in 2007 still makes his home in the Ocean State. He is currently employed at WNRI 1380 AM, a talk radio station based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where his 2-hour show "Kane and Company" occupies the 10am-12pm time slot on weekdays.
Nicknamed "The Pitbull of comedy" in the 1980s during his time as a stand-up comedian, Kane is known for his passionate, sometimes confrontational style of talk radio, urging people to stand up for what they believe in and to take action in the face of injustice. One of Kane's oft-spoken phrases is the well known quote, often attributed to Irish philosopher Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for evil to exist is for good people to do nothing."
In addition to his strong viewpoints about current local and national issues, Kane and Company also features Kane's self-deprecating style of humor liberally peppered throughout the show. Conflict between Kane and his callers is commonplace, with some of the more vociferous people attaining the level of "Prisoner", a title Kane reserves for the most antagonistic callers who consistently claim to hate his show, but who feel compelled to keep listening and/or calling back to argue.
[edit] "Father Misgivings"
Aside from being involved in talk radio, Kane's second major source of livelihood is his work as a performance artist. Kane is well-known regionally for creating the character of Father Misgivings, an Irish Catholic priest. In this one man play, which Kane describes as featuring "blessings, Blarney, belly laughs and Bingo," the character of Father Misgivings tells stories and relates his views about the idiosyncrasies of growing up and living life as a Roman Catholic. Kane performs the show many times each year, usually in the form of a dinner theater, in venues throughout New England.
[edit] The Station Nightclub Fire
Kane's son, Nicholas O'Neill, at age 18, was the youngest victim of The Station nightclub fire of 2003 in which 100 people lost their lives. In the wake of this tragedy, Kane became a strong proponent of fire safety awareness and the enforcement of strict laws for the administration of fire safety inspections on public buildings. Kane was publicly opposed to Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch's handling of the criminal trials of those involved in negligence leading to the fire. The friction between the two heightened in 2006 when Lynch, questioned about Kane during an interview, replied, "Mr. Kane is a sad, tragic, somewhat pathetic figure."
[edit] 41 Signs of Hope
In 2006, Kane authored his first published book, 41 Signs of Hope. In the book, Kane shares anecdotes of synchronistic, and at times, seemingly supernatural occurrences revolving around the number 41, which Kane and his family contend are communications from the spirit of his son Nicholas.
