I saw Wesley live. Before the show he was just hanging out in a booth by himself, and as I walked past Wesley called me over to sit with him. Of course I did! Within 10 seconds of me sitting across from he grabbed me by the back of the next and pulled our foreheads together. “Say RAWR” is what he said. So I did. He did this to me 2 more times then said, “you’re alright.” RIP sir
@@HypnoticHollywood It was more of a head tap while Wesley was sitting down. Although it was hard enough to give him a permanent bruise on his forehead (because he always did it to people)
"Not just the crazy man" For some time I've seen him regarded as this genius wrote his songs to intimidate his schizophrenia voices into backing down, and thought "yeah people might enjoy this." If all somebody had to say to me after beating up Spider-Man was a nonchalant "he was being such a stupid jerk" I'd be intimidated too.
@Sam D what makes you decide what is and isn't art to people? also he was not a "freakshow" and comments like that just keep the negative stereotype of just because your born different mean's your a freak
Wesley Willis is an inspiration to anyone who wants to win at life. He had everything stacked against him from the start, but had the good grace and courage to follow his dreams. He worked hard, kept positive and had both humour and love in his heart. Creating some truly awesome artwork, and some genuinely funny music.
Bump my head! Bumped heads with Wesley many times. He was a gentle man. He gave me one of his drawings. He always went to gigs, would sit and draw, get up and bump heads with the band. That's why he had that dark spot in the middle of his forehead. He was a good dude.
The thing is he clearly has coherent thoughts and is a smart guy but its just the schizophrenia that can make it hard for people to understand. He was a great storyteller, had a photographic memory and was able to express himself fine, you just had to take an extra minute to listen to him.
I had the great pleasure and honor of seeing Wesley as a present for my 18th birthday. After the show there was a small meet and greet and signing of merch with the man himself. I told him it was my birthday and he yelled in my face "Happy birthday bitch!" and threw a copy of the signed CD at me hard enough to crack the plastic case. Rock over London, Rock on Chicago.
I grew up in Chicago and I personally knew Wesley. His personality was off-putting to people who weren't aware of his condition but besides that he was the nicest person you could have met. He wouldn't hurt a fly. I used to have one of his artwork but it was stolen from me.
I love Wesley Willis. A really fun and friendly guy who just loved to sing. To all the people that say "Outsider Music is exploitation" and "You should be ashamed for listening to that", you are part of the problem. These people, Wesley Willis, Daniel Johnston, they are all accomplished and interesting artists. Not novelties, artists. Beloved figures that show raw, honest emotion, free of pretention. These people overcame massive struggles to make music, to make people happy. In some ways, I wish more people were like Wesley. Not afraid to have fun and be fun. RIP Wesley Willis
Welsey was such a legend. I remember finding him on Napster as a mislabeled MP3. Me and my friends we’re obsessed with him. Crazy thing is there all kinds of legends of what it was like to meet the guy and a lot of them were true. Like one of my friends saw him and he head-butted my friend. My friend kinda got pissed and started to say something when he realized who it was. Wesley was cool and said “we are now friends” and that was the story. It only makes sense since it was Wesley. RIP
Honestly, had Wesley came about in the right time of the internet, he'd have been an icon or at least had his 15 minutes of fame. Wesley was ahead of his time, a bit and an awesome guy. RIP Wesley.
I’ve been listening to Wesley since I was like 8 years old thanks to having older siblings. He has been one of my favorite musicians for almost my whole life and probably some of the best Outsider Music that’s ever been made. He was such a genuine soul who just loved music and everything about it. I’m still jealous my brother got to see him live like 6 months before he died. RIP.
For me, it’s how genuine he was and how he took elements of current news and pop culture and using it in his music made it like a time capsule. The American experience is often stopped down to McDonald’s, mass advertising, murder, struggle, and selfishness, and he took that and put it in his music, but put soul back into these soulless subjects with the liveliness and community that rock and roll creates. He also is called a punk artist because of the attitude and rawness of the subjects of his music, not over complicating it, just getting out what he needed to say. I really like this dude. He was a good soul and one of a kind.
Scarce Strokes Nahh Daniel Johnston had chord structure and actual melody and could play piano and guitar. But yeah they both had mental health issues.
I love this man, genuinely, I first heard Rock and Roll McDonald’s in Super Size Me and I fell in love with his music ever since, he’s unlike any musician I’ve ever seen, he was genuinely humble, and you can tell he loved what he did, rock on man, wish I could have met you...
No, though the truth is just as sad.....he has a scar that runs down his cheek starting at his eye and ends on his upper lip, looks like it could be teardrops.
A while ago, I had a really interesting trip to this Record store called Dr. Wax, it was going out of business and my friend and I were visiting Evanston, which we usually never did. I had known about Willis and was interested in him "ironically" at the time, blasting his music in friend's cars to try and make ppl uncomfortable, finding ourselves singing along and enjoying the music. I asked if they had any Wesley Willis albums, expecting nothing as there were none on the shelf. The person helping me reached under all the shelves into a cabinet that looked like it hadn't been open in forever. He pulled a box out of CD's. Wesley Willis' Dr. Wax. He gave me the album for free and told me stories of w Wesley, how he used to hang outside of the store with paper and sharpie and sometimes canvas to paint/draw. Still have the CD. He seemed like a friendly man. He was earnest and did it seems he did it out of love. What a soul.
Wesley Willis was meme material before people used the term. He was on heavy rotation at a certain video game developer I worked for in the early 2000’s. Brings back memories.
I met Wesley Willis when I was really young at a hardware store my dad worked at when I was around 4 years old in Plymouth, Michigan Loved his music ever since. Rest in peace.
Thank you for putting me on. Went and saw the documentary. This man's ability to move forward and create after such a distressing youth is inspirational.
I think both deserve better than to have their lives disrespected with inaccuracies and manufactured drama. But they could have movies based on their songs.
Well, I think the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” was good, and the hyperbolic elements are present, but not excessive nor disruptive. This is to both address your comment - though I understand its humor - and common things others use to discredit the popular music.
@@Krakkokayne Of that I am sure. I've long since stopped trying. Take the Everglades, for instance. They're still out there sweatin' their days away in fan boats, frog huntin', beer drinkin' & otherwise doing whatever else mullets worldwide are known to do.
I was hooked once I heard this was the guy who made Rock and Roll McDonald’s. I love it to this day! I’m glad you made this video, it was very informational!
it makes me happy that you made such a positiveand genuine video. people on the schizo-spectrum are usually demonized and ridiculed, and/or in some ways even fetishized. i have schizoaffective disorder, and im an artist myself. art, no matter your medium, really is therapeutic. and when othr people can appreciate what i make, it just makes me really happy. ive never heard of this guy before since he was a bit before my time, so thank you for bringing him to my attention. i hope he had a wonderful time creating what he made.
I think you should make a video on this guy called Jack Stuaber. He makes music but then he also makes these old style tape videos which will give A LOT of questions and when I say A LOT I mean A LOT.
I used to listen to him when I was in middle school and saw his nardwuar interview he influenced me to keep living despite a bad childhood and to just laugh to keep from crying
"Take your ass to the barbershop Tell the barber that you're sick of looking like an asshole " Ive listened to Wesley Willis for almost 20 years (not on repeat for obvious reasons lol) and it makes me happy that He could have slight resurgence with the attention from youtubers. He was one of a kind and always seemed like a great person even with his mental health struggles. There is a great documentary called "The Daddy of Rock n Roll" I'd recommend anyone interested in him watch. It follows him around, gets into his past as well as interviews with those close to him such as Steve Albini (yes that steve albini) who was part of the band The Wesley Willis Fiasco which Wesley fronted
I deal with some similar mental issues to Wesley. It's extremely rare that I see a public figure with paranoid schizophrenia as kind, warm, & hardworking as he is remembered to be--not some edgy criminal villain, but a good person from a terrible situation who made art for therapy. Most of it having a universally fun & optimistic vibe. A lot of people don't understand how empowering it can be to make people laugh. IMO, his music is getting a second life thanks in part to the type of internet meme, post-ironic, absurdist (without being pretentious!) movement a lot of modern people are vibing with in the face of a truly wacked-out world. It's lovable, soulful, & unique. It really makes me wish he's somewhere out there where he can see the love he's inspired & shared, long after his body's gone. I'm sorry if this sounds silly or dumb. Actually, no I'm not. It's time to stop apologizing for expressing ourselves in a harmless way, as we try our best to twist our shit lives into something better. Who gives a shit if you only have a pencil, or a mic built into your laptop, or a single keyboard. Just share your truest self & forget your reputation or target audience for a minute or two. Pour out your heart to the world in whatever therapy you feel best with. Remember how welcoming & open Wesley was, no matter how different he had to be about it compared to other people. Let's do our best to keep my man as immortal as the best of kings deserves. ;^)
I saw Wesley Willis on one of those so bad it's good videos while looking for Daniel Johnstone. I am a pretty traditional rock n roll kind of guy, don't like rap or anything too avant-garde. That said, I am obsessed with Wesley Willis now and not only listen to him, I have tried turning other people onto him, including my children. Watching a couple of the full-length documentaries about him as a person and how he wrote music to deal with his schizophrenia made me love him as a person. I cannot get enough of him. I listen to him while mowing the lawn and any time I can. Like you say, he is such a likable person and he does this for therapy. Listening to him is becoming my therapy. I don't it is fair to judge or question why anyone listens to him. He got what he wanted, to be a rock star.
Wesley Willis was the real deal. As genuine as they come. I would run into him from time to time when I lived in the Bucktown neighborhood in Chicago, back in the 1990's. I would be walking down the street (usually near the Flat Iron Building), and Wesley would flat out walk right up to you and ask you, "DO YOU WANT TO BUY MY MUSIC?" Always in a loud and gregarious voice. I would never pay the first price that he would quote me. Usually the second price, because he'd sweeten the deal. You'd pay him and sometimes there would be a playful headbutt if he was in a good mood and he knew you. The music was so bad that it was good. Same music, but different lyrics. Sometimes they were fun and catchy, other times they were downright vulgar. And others, you'd be saying to yourself, "I don't need to hear that again!" He was a force to behold. He is missed.
I first heard "Rock N Roll McDonalds" through Super Size Me, but I first heard the name Wesley Willis through the Outsider Music compilation Songs In The Key of Z. Great vid about him!
I did see that video that MicTheSnare did, and i was also interested into his music career. Thank you for making a full video about him. He was someone that made alot of people happy with his music. I’m glad he’s being remembered as a man of music.
wesley is a gem of a artist. truly a 1 of a kind artist and person. their will never be another wesley willis. thats just one of many things that makes him special. i really hope he continues to build a fanbase in the coming years.
I saw him once live in 2001. The ROCK show was AWESOME! A lot of fans met Wesley and got headbutted. Ironically enough, it was the same venue where I saw MF DOOM, and Trans Am that same year.
Wesley Willis was also really close friends with Jello Biafra. Long live Wesley ❤ Edit: That ending gave me chills, and I think this video needed to be made. I'm glad to see people are still into Wesley's music ✌
If you like Wesley, I highly recommend listening to Daniel Johnston. He's a very similar artist, who also struggled with mental illness. He's a very talented writer and musician actually, and was very influential for lo-fi music
At the end of the day, I feel like Wesley brought love to the world. Like so few people know him but when you run into another Wesley Willis fan its like instant connection you know? Right off the bat you know A)that person is into "different" art. B) that person is loving of all kinds of people no matter who they are and C)you'll probably have alot more in common if you keep talking. Thanks Wesley
Deep, dark and beautiful. This is a wonderful tribute to and celebration of the art and life of Wesley Willis. Thank you for doing this. So glad I clicked through to watch.
FWIW, He used like a dozen different keyboards. Most of them were Technics KN models though. Kn1000, KN1200, KN2000, KN3000, KN7000, etc. He also used those Gem keyboards. That said, he would use like literally one sound on each keyboard, then trade it in for a loss at the music store. This was kind of sad. People thought the sales guys were tacking advantage of him, but he insisted. He had lots of cash on him at any time. "I DO A LOT OF DRAWINGS. I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY."
Oh thank you for the info! I did discover recently that the KN model used for most of his songs was the KN2000. That one has the "Rock N Roll McDonalds" sample, as well as the "Vampite Bat" sample.
My coworker introduced me to his music, and now we love playing rock and roll McDonald's and bird man kicked my ass over the loudspeakers while we're closing the restaurant
I'm so glad I got to see a Wesley Willis show. It was in 2001 at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago. He was so happy that he had just gotten a new keyboard, he just started performing for people before the show actually started. Like a band was trying to soundcheck and he was just going at it. I also got a couple headbutts from him. He'd say "Say RAWK" you say it, he gives you a headbutt. He'd say "Now say ROWLL", you say, another headbutt, and sometimes a couple more for good measure. Truly a one of a kind.
I saw Wesley live on Valentine’s Day in 2001. Unforgettable show. I remember spending some time talking to his sound guy too, they were so nice. He always headbutted people who jumped onstage, it was his thing. When he got to me he kept telling me to yell things back at him. Him: “SAY ROCK!!” Me: “ROCK!!” Headbutt. Him: “SAY ROLL!” Me: “ROLL!” Headbutt. Just face to face onstage with him, it was intense! We went on like this for too long, it was a little scary but also awesome. RIP WW, amazing dude.
One small thing to clarify, though it's understandable to have missed. He didn't make music on the same one keyboard throughout his career, which seems to be implied. He stuck with the Technics brand but was constantly buying newer models each time he could. I have to say, having been a fan of Wes's for years, your documentary is very well made, and I can tell you're genuinely inspired by him especially given his talent, and his unfortunate upbringing. He did sing and draw from a place of pain, but also heart.
I saw Wesley Willis play live once. He was incredibly nice and very medicated. I declined his head-butt of greeting. I’ve regretted that ever since. Such a nice guy.
Thank you for covering one of my favorite musicians! ^^ I love to annoy my friends by forcing them to listen to Cut the Mullet and Suck a Caribous Ass on repeat, good times, yeah...
8:02 Haha, I remember that night fondly! That was actually my second headbutt of the evening (I interviewed him before the show in exchange for the first one). There will never be another person quite like Wesley.
I’ve been really interested in this guy for months now and I’m so glad to see a serious and interesting video about him. Honestly as a aspiring artists I really looked up to him. I wish he wasn’t taken from us so soon.
Oh nostalgic attack! I used to obsess over WW and made everyone who came to my place listen to it blasted throughout the house on a semi permanent rotation. There was a lot of partying going on at that time. Then one day, just kinda forgot about him completely until I saw the headline for this video. Thank you for the memories. :D
This looks like your most popular video. Ratios everything you’ve done. Good job. Keep thinking outside the box. In geek culture Willis is a legend that will never die.
Damn bro, this shit made me cry. I remember me and my brother listening to his music and thought it was hilarious back in the day. Had no idea he was troubled so much.
Thank you so much for making this, you actually have no idea how important this video is.... I watched his Nardwuar interview a few years ago and I've always found him so interesting as a human.. what a legend
I'll never forget finding about Wesley because of a YTMND that used Rock N Roll McDonald's, ages ago. Changed my life and perspective on art and music, not kidding.
I saw Wesley live. Before the show he was just hanging out in a booth by himself, and as I walked past Wesley called me over to sit with him. Of course I did!
Within 10 seconds of me sitting across from he grabbed me by the back of the next and pulled our foreheads together. “Say RAWR” is what he said. So I did. He did this to me 2 more times then said, “you’re alright.”
RIP sir
Maybe he wanted you to roar so you could scare his “demons”
Headbutted the great Wesley Willis. That is so awesome!
@@tylerp3327 I wouldn't let no 6 foot 6 dude headbutt me.
@@HypnoticHollywood It was more of a head tap while Wesley was sitting down. Although it was hard enough to give him a permanent bruise on his forehead (because he always did it to people)
@@HypnoticHollywood He was very gentle.
i'm so glad he's getting seen as an artist
and not just the crazy man who made a song about mcdonald's
thank you daniel!
"Not just the crazy man"
For some time I've seen him regarded as this genius wrote his songs to intimidate his schizophrenia voices into backing down, and thought "yeah people might enjoy this." If all somebody had to say to me after beating up Spider-Man was a nonchalant "he was being such a stupid jerk" I'd be intimidated too.
@Sam D what makes you decide what is and isn't art to people?
also he was not a "freakshow" and comments like that just keep the negative stereotype of just because your born different mean's your a freak
He ISNT just a crazy man who made rock n’ roll mcdonalds
Wesley Willis is an inspiration to anyone who wants to win at life. He had everything stacked against him from the start, but had the good grace and courage to follow his dreams. He worked hard, kept positive and had both humour and love in his heart. Creating some truly awesome artwork, and some genuinely funny music.
@Gavin Star exactly.
Bump my head! Bumped heads with Wesley many times. He was a gentle man. He gave me one of his drawings. He always went to gigs, would sit and draw, get up and bump heads with the band. That's why he had that dark spot in the middle of his forehead. He was a good dude.
he has such a calming presence despite the chaotic nature of his music and way of thinking. truly kind and gentle.
I think the thing on his forehead was a growth/mole/melanoma skin lesion type thing.
Idiot on this post. Get laid loser
@@Fatherkol Who, Me? What did I do wrong?
@@stoneylonesome4062 It was literally from bumping heads with everyone.
Wesley willis is a punk icon. Like legit
11:24 He even had a mosh pit! Wesley was hardcore
I agree
Icon in general compared to all other artists he's probably the best artist ever
I don’t think Wesley was punk, he was Wesley Willis. No genre can describe him. He was unlike anything that ever happened in American music before.
@@stoneylonesome4062 And there probably will never be anything quite like him again
The thing is he clearly has coherent thoughts and is a smart guy but its just the schizophrenia that can make it hard for people to understand. He was a great storyteller, had a photographic memory and was able to express himself fine, you just had to take an extra minute to listen to him.
I had the great pleasure and honor of seeing Wesley as a present for my 18th birthday. After the show there was a small meet and greet and signing of merch with the man himself. I told him it was my birthday and he yelled in my face "Happy birthday bitch!" and threw a copy of the signed CD at me hard enough to crack the plastic case. Rock over London, Rock on Chicago.
I grew up in Chicago and I personally knew Wesley. His personality was off-putting to people who weren't aware of his condition but besides that he was the nicest person you could have met. He wouldn't hurt a fly. I used to have one of his artwork but it was stolen from me.
Well, he wupped batman's ass...
What, crying? No no, my eyes are just sweaty
mairo couldn’t focus on this comment do to your pfp
@Maximilliano you do have a point
That's disgusting.
Rock over London, rock on Chicago, rest in peace Wesley Willis. Your music makes me smile. *single tear streaks down face*
I love Wesley Willis. A really fun and friendly guy who just loved to sing. To all the people that say "Outsider Music is exploitation" and "You should be ashamed for listening to that", you are part of the problem. These people, Wesley Willis, Daniel Johnston, they are all accomplished and interesting artists. Not novelties, artists. Beloved figures that show raw, honest emotion, free of pretention. These people overcame massive struggles to make music, to make people happy. In some ways, I wish more people were like Wesley. Not afraid to have fun and be fun. RIP Wesley Willis
Welsey was such a legend. I remember finding him on Napster as a mislabeled MP3. Me and my friends we’re obsessed with him. Crazy thing is there all kinds of legends of what it was like to meet the guy and a lot of them were true. Like one of my friends saw him and he head-butted my friend. My friend kinda got pissed and started to say something when he realized who it was. Wesley was cool and said “we are now friends” and that was the story. It only makes sense since it was Wesley.
RIP
Wesley headbutting people as a friendship ritual is an integral part of his lore
Honestly, had Wesley came about in the right time of the internet, he'd have been an icon or at least had his 15 minutes of fame. Wesley was ahead of his time, a bit and an awesome guy.
RIP Wesley.
This vid has some blamitonjorge vibes
Agreed.
don't call me carson I wanna see that crossover happen
I thought this was a new Blameitonjorge video when I tapped on it.
I’ve been listening to Wesley since I was like 8 years old thanks to having older siblings. He has been one of my favorite musicians for almost my whole life and probably some of the best Outsider Music that’s ever been made. He was such a genuine soul who just loved music and everything about it.
I’m still jealous my brother got to see him live like 6 months before he died. RIP.
What gives his music its charm is it's the unfiltered product of one man's creativity in doing what he loves and expressing himself.
This guy is literally what MC Ride’s stand would be
his what?
Matthew Summington yes
I feel like MC Ride is the stand. Like he was the angry voice screaming in Wesley’s head until he manifested a physical form.
Lmao best comment i've seen so far
@@madiserket2 The manifestation of his energy
For me, it’s how genuine he was and how he took elements of current news and pop culture and using it in his music made it like a time capsule. The American experience is often stopped down to McDonald’s, mass advertising, murder, struggle, and selfishness, and he took that and put it in his music, but put soul back into these soulless subjects with the liveliness and community that rock and roll creates. He also is called a punk artist because of the attitude and rawness of the subjects of his music, not over complicating it, just getting out what he needed to say. I really like this dude. He was a good soul and one of a kind.
Kinda consider him a chaotic version of Daniel Johnston
Rest In Peace to the both of them. Too good for this world
Scarce Strokes Nahh Daniel Johnston had chord structure and actual melody and could play piano and guitar. But yeah they both had mental health issues.
rip daniel johnston
I came to this channel because of those old rants, and now here we are, with actually well-made commentary videos. Daniel's certainly evolved.
I love this man, genuinely, I first heard Rock and Roll McDonald’s in Super Size Me and I fell in love with his music ever since, he’s unlike any musician I’ve ever seen, he was genuinely humble, and you can tell he loved what he did, rock on man, wish I could have met you...
8:16
Is he crying on stage?
That's really sad, it kinda makes me want to cry
ngl i shed a tear
No, though the truth is just as sad.....he has a scar that runs down his cheek starting at his eye and ends on his upper lip, looks like it could be teardrops.
He had a scar on his face that ran from his eye to the bottom of his cheek. Although it does look like he’s crying.
Chronicle Zombie No it’s not tears
@@looshkin66 Even sadder, he was attacked on a bus with a box cutter
as someone who has listened to a lot of They Might Be Giants, Ween, Lemon Demon, and musical comedy, Wesley Willis was certainly a hoot to discover
My shitty punk band opened for Wes. Next to my kids being born, the highlight of my life.
A while ago, I had a really interesting trip to this Record store called Dr. Wax, it was going out of business and my friend and I were visiting Evanston, which we usually never did. I had known about Willis and was interested in him "ironically" at the time, blasting his music in friend's cars to try and make ppl uncomfortable, finding ourselves singing along and enjoying the music. I asked if they had any Wesley Willis albums, expecting nothing as there were none on the shelf. The person helping me reached under all the shelves into a cabinet that looked like it hadn't been open in forever. He pulled a box out of CD's. Wesley Willis' Dr. Wax. He gave me the album for free and told me stories of w
Wesley, how he used to hang outside of the store with paper and sharpie and sometimes canvas to paint/draw. Still have the CD. He seemed like a friendly man. He was earnest and did it seems he did it out of love. What a soul.
This video actually made me cry
Keanu Reeeves wow Keanu, you’re a pretty empathetic guy
Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnson are two of the artists I really respect. They don't get enough play
Wesley Willis was meme material before people used the term. He was on heavy rotation at a certain video game developer I worked for in the early 2000’s. Brings back memories.
I met Wesley Willis when I was really young at a hardware store my dad worked at when I was around 4 years old in Plymouth, Michigan
Loved his music ever since. Rest in peace.
Thank you for putting me on. Went and saw the documentary. This man's ability to move forward and create after such a distressing youth is inspirational.
This is the guy who deserved the serious, Oscar nominated docudrama about his life, not Queen.
I think both deserve better than to have their lives disrespected with inaccuracies and manufactured drama.
But they could have movies based on their songs.
Well, I think the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” was good, and the hyperbolic elements are present, but not excessive nor disruptive. This is to both address your comment - though I understand its humor - and common things others use to discredit the popular music.
@@BaranoffIsaac couldn't agree more. After watching the Office twice and being a huge wes fan, he be perfect
havn't heard rock n roll mcdonalds since like the 90's holy shit
Never had one
@Real Donald Trump mullets are 80s
@@Krakkokayne Nice try. Now, get your ass to the barber shop and tell him you are sick of looking like a stupid asshole!
@@DrMackSplackem lmfao 🤣 you will never stop the mullet army
@@Krakkokayne Of that I am sure. I've long since stopped trying. Take the Everglades, for instance. They're still out there sweatin' their days away in fan boats, frog huntin', beer drinkin' & otherwise doing whatever else mullets worldwide are known to do.
I was hooked once I heard this was the guy who made Rock and Roll McDonald’s. I love it to this day! I’m glad you made this video, it was very informational!
it makes me happy that you made such a positiveand genuine video. people on the schizo-spectrum are usually demonized and ridiculed, and/or in some ways even fetishized. i have schizoaffective disorder, and im an artist myself. art, no matter your medium, really is therapeutic. and when othr people can appreciate what i make, it just makes me really happy.
ive never heard of this guy before since he was a bit before my time, so thank you for bringing him to my attention. i hope he had a wonderful time creating what he made.
I think you should make a video on this guy called Jack Stuaber. He makes music but then he also makes these old style tape videos which will give A LOT of questions and when I say A LOT I mean A LOT.
he’s pretty rad! found his stuff a long time ago when his videos were considered more creepy and cryptid than artistic... instantly loved!!
1999 Wesley wiles just beat up yoshkaga Kira
He was driving the ambulance
Finally someone is talking about this guy. Cool.
I used to listen to him when I was in middle school and saw his nardwuar interview he influenced me to keep living despite a bad childhood and to just laugh to keep from crying
"Take your ass to the barbershop
Tell the barber that you're sick of looking like an asshole
"
Ive listened to Wesley Willis for almost 20 years (not on repeat for obvious reasons lol) and it makes me happy that He could have slight resurgence with the attention from youtubers. He was one of a kind and always seemed like a great person even with his mental health struggles. There is a great documentary called "The Daddy of Rock n Roll" I'd recommend anyone interested in him watch. It follows him around, gets into his past as well as interviews with those close to him such as Steve Albini (yes that steve albini) who was part of the band The Wesley Willis Fiasco which Wesley fronted
I deal with some similar mental issues to Wesley. It's extremely rare that I see a public figure with paranoid schizophrenia as kind, warm, & hardworking as he is remembered to be--not some edgy criminal villain, but a good person from a terrible situation who made art for therapy. Most of it having a universally fun & optimistic vibe. A lot of people don't understand how empowering it can be to make people laugh. IMO, his music is getting a second life thanks in part to the type of internet meme, post-ironic, absurdist (without being pretentious!) movement a lot of modern people are vibing with in the face of a truly wacked-out world. It's lovable, soulful, & unique.
It really makes me wish he's somewhere out there where he can see the love he's inspired & shared, long after his body's gone. I'm sorry if this sounds silly or dumb. Actually, no I'm not. It's time to stop apologizing for expressing ourselves in a harmless way, as we try our best to twist our shit lives into something better. Who gives a shit if you only have a pencil, or a mic built into your laptop, or a single keyboard. Just share your truest self & forget your reputation or target audience for a minute or two.
Pour out your heart to the world in whatever therapy you feel best with. Remember how welcoming & open Wesley was, no matter how different he had to be about it compared to other people. Let's do our best to keep my man as immortal as the best of kings deserves. ;^)
I saw Wesley Willis on one of those so bad it's good videos while looking for Daniel Johnstone. I am a pretty traditional rock n roll kind of guy, don't like rap or anything too avant-garde. That said, I am obsessed with Wesley Willis now and not only listen to him, I have tried turning other people onto him, including my children. Watching a couple of the full-length documentaries about him as a person and how he wrote music to deal with his schizophrenia made me love him as a person. I cannot get enough of him. I listen to him while mowing the lawn and any time I can. Like you say, he is such a likable person and he does this for therapy. Listening to him is becoming my therapy. I don't it is fair to judge or question why anyone listens to him. He got what he wanted, to be a rock star.
Wesley Willis was the real deal. As genuine as they come. I would run into him from time to time when I lived in the Bucktown neighborhood in Chicago, back in the 1990's. I would be walking down the street (usually near the Flat Iron Building), and Wesley would flat out walk right up to you and ask you, "DO YOU WANT TO BUY MY MUSIC?" Always in a loud and gregarious voice. I would never pay the first price that he would quote me. Usually the second price, because he'd sweeten the deal. You'd pay him and sometimes there would be a playful headbutt if he was in a good mood and he knew you. The music was so bad that it was good. Same music, but different lyrics. Sometimes they were fun and catchy, other times they were downright vulgar. And others, you'd be saying to yourself, "I don't need to hear that again!" He was a force to behold. He is missed.
I first heard "Rock N Roll McDonalds" through Super Size Me, but I first heard the name Wesley Willis through the Outsider Music compilation Songs In The Key of Z. Great vid about him!
I did see that video that MicTheSnare did, and i was also interested into his music career. Thank you for making a full video about him. He was someone that made alot of people happy with his music. I’m glad he’s being remembered as a man of music.
Rip to the goat! May he never be forgotten ❤
lol
wesley is a gem of a artist. truly a 1 of a kind artist and person. their will never be another wesley willis. thats just one of many things that makes him special. i really hope he continues to build a fanbase in the coming years.
I saw him once live in 2001. The ROCK show was AWESOME! A lot of fans met Wesley and got headbutted. Ironically enough, it was the same venue where I saw MF DOOM, and Trans Am that same year.
thank you for doing my man right
there's a really cool exhibit of his art up now through november in chicago!
At the restaurant I work at, we used to play at least one of his songs in the kitchen every day.
Wesley Willis is a beautiful man.
6:56 well, that sucks that he interviewed Cardi B
sO gUyS wE dId It yeah
I'm really glad you made this. NOBODY was talking about this guy
I was lucky to catch him live, at SUNY Purchase one night about 20 years or so ago
His music never fails to cheer me up, vent out agression or just have a silly goose time!
Fascinating guy. RIP Wesley!
Wesley Willis was also really close friends with Jello Biafra. Long live Wesley ❤
Edit: That ending gave me chills, and I think this video needed to be made. I'm glad to see people are still into Wesley's music ✌
Jules Black - holly shit jello from the dead Kennedy’s ?
If you like Wesley, I highly recommend listening to Daniel Johnston. He's a very similar artist, who also struggled with mental illness. He's a very talented writer and musician actually, and was very influential for lo-fi music
At the end of the day, I feel like Wesley brought love to the world. Like so few people know him but when you run into another Wesley Willis fan its like instant connection you know? Right off the bat you know A)that person is into "different" art. B) that person is loving of all kinds of people no matter who they are and C)you'll probably have alot more in common if you keep talking.
Thanks Wesley
Deep, dark and beautiful. This is a wonderful tribute to and celebration of the art and life of Wesley Willis. Thank you for doing this. So glad I clicked through to watch.
From the middle of Illinois...met him at the Metro in Chicago, while he sold his newest album, and did the artwork for his next album. R.I.P. WW
Finally, someone's talking about this absolute legend
FWIW, He used like a dozen different keyboards. Most of them were Technics KN models though. Kn1000, KN1200, KN2000, KN3000, KN7000, etc. He also used those Gem keyboards. That said, he would use like literally one sound on each keyboard, then trade it in for a loss at the music store. This was kind of sad. People thought the sales guys were tacking advantage of him, but he insisted. He had lots of cash on him at any time. "I DO A LOT OF DRAWINGS. I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY."
Oh thank you for the info! I did discover recently that the KN model used for most of his songs was the KN2000. That one has the "Rock N Roll McDonalds" sample, as well as the "Vampite Bat" sample.
My coworker introduced me to his music, and now we love playing rock and roll McDonald's and bird man kicked my ass over the loudspeakers while we're closing the restaurant
I'm so glad I came across this. Thank you for doing this. He was a inspiration.
Ah, yes. A Chicago legend. If he ever gets the recognition he deserves, remember he was never a joke.
I'm so glad I got to see a Wesley Willis show. It was in 2001 at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago. He was so happy that he had just gotten a new keyboard, he just started performing for people before the show actually started. Like a band was trying to soundcheck and he was just going at it. I also got a couple headbutts from him. He'd say "Say RAWK" you say it, he gives you a headbutt. He'd say "Now say ROWLL", you say, another headbutt, and sometimes a couple more for good measure. Truly a one of a kind.
I'm not crying, you're crying. This video was beautiful Thank you. Rock over London, Rock over Chicago. RUclips, Broadcast yourself.
So glad people are learning about this misunderstood artist.
Keep on rocking and rolling in the after life Wesley
I saw Wesley live on Valentine’s Day in 2001. Unforgettable show. I remember spending some time talking to his sound guy too, they were so nice.
He always headbutted people who jumped onstage, it was his thing. When he got to me he kept telling me to yell things back at him.
Him: “SAY ROCK!!”
Me: “ROCK!!”
Headbutt.
Him: “SAY ROLL!”
Me: “ROLL!”
Headbutt.
Just face to face onstage with him, it was intense! We went on like this for too long, it was a little scary but also awesome. RIP WW, amazing dude.
Just want to say good work on the Band Geeks Reanimated video. That was one of the best styles in the entire video.
Rock over London, Rock on, Chicago:
Wheaties, breakfast of champions
One small thing to clarify, though it's understandable to have missed. He didn't make music on the same one keyboard throughout his career, which seems to be implied. He stuck with the Technics brand but was constantly buying newer models each time he could. I have to say, having been a fan of Wes's for years, your documentary is very well made, and I can tell you're genuinely inspired by him especially given his talent, and his unfortunate upbringing. He did sing and draw from a place of pain, but also heart.
I've been naming all of the gods in my D&D setting after artists, having a specific, very human, aspect of a bardic god named after Wesley Willis.
One day I want someone to look at my music with the same admiration of Wesley Willis
I've confirmed the existence of at least 72 albums.
Dont b shy drop the links
@@ProblematicBeach actually the number is now closer to at least 85 and I’ll drop a link tmr of what of that I could track down
I LOOOVE Wesley Willis, I've been listening to him since I was a kid!
I saw Wesley Willis play live once. He was incredibly nice and very medicated. I declined his head-butt of greeting. I’ve regretted that ever since. Such a nice guy.
This was so incredibly heart warming I need to watch some live leak to even this out
Thank you for covering one of my favorite musicians! ^^
I love to annoy my friends by forcing them to listen to Cut the Mullet and Suck a Caribous Ass on repeat, good times, yeah...
Wesley was, is and always will be a legend
8:02 Haha, I remember that night fondly! That was actually my second headbutt of the evening (I interviewed him before the show in exchange for the first one). There will never be another person quite like Wesley.
of all the people you could have discussed im amazed its wesley willis. amazing content :)
Wesley Willis starts to break down feels the beat and hits the dance floor
I’ve been really interested in this guy for months now and I’m so glad to see a serious and interesting video about him. Honestly as a aspiring artists I really looked up to him. I wish he wasn’t taken from us so soon.
You know time is flying by fast when it feels like only yesterday you were watching Mario Maker 3DS videos on this guys channel
Oh nostalgic attack! I used to obsess over WW and made everyone who came to my place listen to it blasted throughout the house on a semi permanent rotation. There was a lot of partying going on at that time.
Then one day, just kinda forgot about him completely until I saw the headline for this video. Thank you for the memories. :D
I'm a Wesley Fan... I met him in person several times... I got a headbutt too!
This looks like your most popular video. Ratios everything you’ve done. Good job. Keep thinking outside the box. In geek culture Willis is a legend that will never die.
Man this takes me back,I remember downloading this guy's stuff on Napster.
I first heard of Welsey Willis through my Dad, he was one of the first people to discover him back when Wesley started making music.
Damn bro, this shit made me cry. I remember me and my brother listening to his music and thought it was hilarious back in the day. Had no idea he was troubled so much.
Honesty in art will always be more powerful than simply sounding 'good'.
I was lucky enough to see him 2 times. He was super sweet to the fans.
Thank you so much for making this, you actually have no idea how important this video is....
I watched his Nardwuar interview a few years ago and I've always found him so interesting as a human.. what a legend
I just learned about him. I'm obsessed too. He's a real character.
Rock and Roll shall never die. Love you Wesley
I'll never forget finding about Wesley because of a YTMND that used Rock N Roll McDonald's, ages ago. Changed my life and perspective on art and music, not kidding.
WELL, SWEATING EYES ARE SURE TO COME
Get your workout!
I first heard about “Rock N Roll McDonald’s” in an old Stick pivot animation video back in the old days of RUclips
Me too