Wild Man Fischer
Lawrence Wayne "Wild Man" Fischer (November 6, 1944 – June 16, 2011) was an American street performer known for offering erratic, a cappella performances of "new kinds of songs" for a dime on the beaches of Los Angeles County and the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Most of his life was spent homeless or institutionalized, and he later became regarded as "the godfather of outsider music".
Born in Los Angeles, Fischer was repeatedly sent to mental institutions as a teenager, where he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In 1968, he recorded a single at UCLA and later met Frank Zappa, who produced his debut album, An Evening with Wild Man Fischer for the Bizarre label. Fischer was the opening act for the Byrds, Iron Butterfly, Solomon Burke, and Bo Diddley. His relationship with Zappa came to an abrupt end after Fischer threw a bottle that nearly hit Zappa's daughter Moon. Fischer later collaborated with Smegma, Barnes & Barnes and Rosemary Clooney. He appeared in a 1973 live recording in the film New York Dolls: All Dolled Up (2005). His music influenced Genesis P-Orridge and Jon the Postman, and was played on radio shows hosted by Dr. Demento and John Peel.
In 1975, Fischer recorded a promotional single for Rhino Records entitled "Go to Rhino Records". The label put out a trilogy of albums that ultimately became his last: Wildmania (1977), Pronounced Normal (1981), and Nothing Scary (1983); the latter two were produced by the comedy music duo Barnes & Barnes. A documentary about Fischer's life, Derailroaded: Inside the Mind of Wild Man Fischer, premiered at the South by Southwest festival in 2005.
Deep State
- 2018-09-24T00:00:00.000000Z
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