fahey was born in olean, new york, the sixth of 13 siblings in an irish american family. his mother, jane, was a homemaker, and his father, frank fahey, worked at a clothing store. fahey was raised in buffalo, new york, from the age of ten and attended father baker's high school there. fahey left home at the age of 17, subsequently hitchhiking to alaska. he later backpacked through europe, and worked on an israeli kibbutz.