#49. WESLEY WILLIS

Polishing Turds: A Bad Music Podcast

Wesley Willis was truly one of the strangest dudes to ever touch a keyboard. A street artist and independent musician from Chicago's south side, Wesley self-produced dozens of CDs before amassing a grassroots cult following among hipsters and music nerds.
Wesley was a consummate "outsider artist"; his songs are basically little more than spoken word rants belted over a pre-programmed keyboard track. His lyrics cover all manner of oddities from McDonald's to gangsters to Sucking a Camel's Ass. Wesley himself was a barely-functional eccentric who suffered from schizophrenia and liked to headbutt everyone he met.
So why do so many people adore his music? Well it's one of those things you just have to hear in order to understand. His songs are hilarious, charming, and 100% original, and his life story is as tragic and harrowing as anyone you'll read about. Join us on a wild, left-field ride to kick off 2024!
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Selected sources/supplemental material:
"Wesley Willis As Himself" Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CJ-sHcArHk
Posthumous article by David Buck: https://tedium.co/2017/11/16/wesley-willis-remembrance-history/

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