Died On This Date (June 15, 2011) Wild Man Fischer / Unconventional Singer-Songwriter
themusicsover Larry “Wild Man” Fischer
November 6, 1944 – June 15, 2011
Wild Man Fischer was a cultish singer-songwriter whose unconventional music and actions could be attributed to mental illness. He’s been called severely paranoid schizophrenic, manic depressive, and an acid casualty. Fischer was kicked out of high school for singing in class, and at 16 was institutionalized after attacking his mother with a knife. Upon his release the following year, he landed on the streets of Los Angeles where he continued to sing his outlandish songs to pedestrians at just 10 cents each. Another venue he enjoyed was Dodger Stadium where he serenaded fans while selling peanuts. He also entered area talent shows, and it was at one of these that he caught the attention of Solomon Burke who took him on tour with him. By the late ’60s, Fischer was hanging out along West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip where he opened for the likes of Iron Butterfly and Bo Diddley. He was soon spotted by Frank Zappa who recorded his first album, An Evening With Wild Man Fischer in 1968. He went on to perform with Art and Artie Barnes and recorded additional albums on his own through the ’80s. His 1975 Go To Rhino Records was the first album ever released by the esteemed Rhino label. Throughout his career, Fischer worked with such luminaries as Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Tom Waits, and oddly enough, Rosemary Clooney, with whom he dueted on 1986’s “It’s A Hard Business.” In recent years he has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, while making other random appearances. He is also the subject of a recent documentary, Derailroaded: Inside The Mind Of Wild Man Fischer. Wild Man Fischer was 66 when he passed away on June 15, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released, but he was reportedly suffering from heart issues.
What You Should Own
Mae Wheeler was a popular St. Louis singer who became affectionately known over the years as “Lady Jazz.” Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Wheeler began singing in church choirs as early as the age of 4, but soon moved to St. Louis with her family. As she got older, Wheeler began making a name for herself at the clubs throughout the city’s storied Gaslight Quarter of the 1960s. Over the course of her decades-long career, Wheeler shared the stage with such luminaries as 
Bill Johnson was a longtime art director who helped shape the image of country music packaging during the ’80s and ’90s. He spent the better part of two decades working at CBS Records where he created artwork for such albums as Willie Nelson’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Rodney Crowell’s Diamonds & Dirt, the Dixie Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces, Roseanne Cash’s King’s Record Shop, and the O’Kanes’ Tired Of The Runnin’. The Cash and O’Kanes packages each earned him Grammys. Bill Johnson was 68 when he died of lung cancer on June 15, 2011.