Video

Wesley Willis the Daddy of Rock'n'Roll

Daniel Bitton

2001, 59:00 minutes, colour, english

TAPECODE 190.00

"I'm Wesley Willis, I'm 36 years old. I play music and do art. I have schizophrenia. I have chronic schizophrenia. I had it since 1989. Roger Lee Carpenter asked me for $600. He told me, that if I don't give him the $600, he was going to blow my brains out. That's when I started hearing demons. I have three demons: Nervewrecker, Heartbreaker and Meansucker. The demons tell me I'm a jerk, a bum and an asshole. I yell, I scream, I holler at people on buses - but when I'm with friends, it's a joyride."

God gave me this rock music career to keep me busy. Back in 1991, I used to hit old people with folding chairs. Suddenly, I moved to the north side of Chicago, Illinois in 1992. It made a rock star out of me at last. I'm the daddy of rock and roll!"

Formerly making his living by selling his drawings in Chicago, Wesley Willis has sold tens of thousands of copies of more than 40 albums since he started recording music in 1992. He tours constantly around the United States, where he is an underground hero and much loved by his loyal fans, including the Beastie Boys, Steve Albini, and Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.

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