Wesley Willis

Philadelphia Weekly
August 27, 2003
Editor's Picks

In Memoriam: Wesley Willis, 1963-2003

The Wesley Willis enigma is not one that's easily unraveled. Was he a musical genius haunted by the demons of schizophrenia? Or was he a modern-day freak show catering to a rubbernecking public?

Regardless, Willis' ride on the big city bus that is earthly life ended last Thursday. The singer/songwriter always maintained that music was the only defense against the voices in his head. Over the course of his relatively brief career, Willis released more than 50 (yes, 50) albums, many of them self-produced. He garnered a healthy cult following of punk rockers and hippies who found songs such as "Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's" and "I Wupped Batman's Ass" refreshingly earnest and amusing.

Willis never missed an opportunity to provide brutally honest observations or headbutts (his preferred method of greeting) to just about any passer-by, and we loved him for that. Willis referred to his schizophrenic episodes as "freakout hell bus rides." If there's any justice in the afterlife, he's cruising the harmony joy bus ride to rock 'n' roll heaven. As Willis himself was fond of saying, "Rock over London. Rock on Chicago." (Joshua Valocchi)