I just received an email telling me that Larry "Wild Man" Fischer passed away yesterday. Those of you who actually know me know that Larry was a pretty important person to me. I never met the man, but his music and his spirit changed my life.
I wrote a blog about him a few years back, and I really don't have any words right now, so I'm going to re-post that blog here for you.
'Bye Larry. Your mind was one of a kind...
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Larry is a bona-fide manic depressive paranoid schizophrenic. He was first approached by Frank Zappa in the late 60's while Larry was performing in his usual way: he would walk the streets of Hollywood singing songs for anyone for a dime. His songs were often about his family or how distanced he felt from the rest of society. Usually they were about happiness and friendship, but from the odd and disconcerting perspective of an outsider to these very things. It would be like me singing about what it's like to have a vagina. I could take a swing at it, but there is absolutely no way for me to know with any certainty that what I was saying was factual. He wanted these things so badly that even the concept of happiness made him happy. For a little while at least.
I won't get into too much detail here, but he released a handfull of albums in the 70's and 80's and then disappeared from sight. He was always either homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless, and frequesntly in and out of mental hospitals. As near as I can figure he was never really a threat to anyone, even himself.
He was always a sad character with joy in his heart. Even when his life was spiralling out of his control, he always had a song in his heart. He dreamed of becoming a huge pop star, headlining in Vegas and being "bigger than the Beatles."
His albums were never widely accepted and most who heard them thought they were a joke. He never was the greatest singer, and his rhyming schemes were questionable at best. I don't know what it is about Larry's music that touches me - I think it's the fact that he was so lost in a world that didn't understand him, and he loved everyone in his weird way. But his music absolutley moves me.
My life has not been the same since I first heard him back in the early 80's (I can still very clearly remember a friend going through my record collection in 1984 looking for Metallica, Mercyfull Fate and Dead Kennedys, and coming across "An Evening With Wild Man Fischer" (pictured above) and asking me to put it on - he DID NOT GET IT!!). I think I immediately understood him. He didn't have the social skills to interact with most people, but he had a love of music that he simply had to share, and that is a beautiful thing.
Recently there was a documentary made about him entitled "Derailroaded", and while I have yet to see it I must applaud those that took the time and effort to do it. I just hope they didn't do a "look at the freak" piece. That would be devastating. It is currently awaiting a domestic DVD release.
He is still alive, but from what I understand he has been in virtual seclusion for the past 2 decades, only occasionally venturing out into the real world. The documentary promises new interviews with him, and I for one can't wait to see how he's doing.
Sadly, I believe that everything he has recorded is currently out of print, but I have all of it, so if you're intrigued by what you hear or what I've tried to convey here, let me know and I'll do what I can to get more of his amazing spirit to you. I used to go down to Tower records and buy multiple copies of his records and just give them to friends, so I don't see why I should stop now for those who wish to be included.
Okay, that was WAY freaking longer than I had intended it to be.
In 2004, Larry was invited to be a guest on the Jimmy Kimmel show (wish I'd heard about it!) and his collaborators in the 80's, Barnes and Barnes - remember the song "Fish Heads"? - went backstage to wish him luck. Yes, that's Billy Mumy from Lost in Space on the right.
"How Noble is the sad heart who would sing a joyous song with joyous hearts." -Kahil Gibran
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Friends...
We're very saddened to report that rock and roll lost another legend yesterday. Larry 'Wild Man' Fischer passed away yesterday morning at UCLA hospital from heart related complications. Larry lived a tough, hard 66 years of life.
Even though Larry never did reach the pinnacle of fame and fortune he so yearned for, he was successful in inspiring and influencing people from all over the world with his unique brand of music and expression.
Thank you Larry for your friendship, generosity and your music. You were a one-of-a-kind talent with a 'one-of-a-kind mind.' There will NEVER be another one like you. We miss you already.
-Josh and Jeremy
(The Ubin Twinz)
The Fischer family is requesting that if you wish to honor Larry's memory please make a donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: http://www.nami.org/
"Like Frank Zappa said, I've traveled the world... and there is only one Wild Man Fischer"- Larry
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1 comment:
Aww, that's sad news. I guess you and I both didn't know that we were each big fans. I have all his albums too, as well as the DVD documentary. I can mail it to you if you want to give it a watch. It's very good. Larry lived a rough life and apparently was capable of violent outbursts at times--after he threw something at Zappa's kid, he was ostracized from the Zappa circle and Zappa's widow vowed never to re-press any of the Fischer albums from their Bizarre label.
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