Wesley Willis at The Vista in Eureka, CA 2002

Unfortunately I was only able to see Wesley once before he died. He put on a great show. Grand Buffet was also there and were stellar as usual. I took some pictures at the show and submitted them to Panache Magazine. They used one for a story on the 14th of February, 2002. It was called Mind Your Manners.

Wikipedia says:

In 2008, the documentary film Wesley Willis’s Joy Rides made its public debut at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film comprises footage of Willis collected by the filmmakers over a period of five years, interviews of family and friends after Willis’s death, and animations created from his artwork.

Singer Katy Perry mentioned Willis in the song, “Simple,” which she wrote early in her career. The lyrics to the song begin, “You’re such a poet. I wish I could be Wesley Willis.”

Funny thing is, somebody was already in Arizona at the time:

Simple math, really. 2005 – 4 = 2001. Maybe even earlier. I was living in Arcata, California in 2002. Lived in California from 2001-2004 actually.

The person bothering Phil Hendrie was living in Arizona by at least 2001. Probably his whole miserable life. And he probably still lives there. I only lived there from 2004 to 2010. Phil Hendrie thought I was still living there from 2012 on.