Rock over London, rock on Chicago, Wesley Willis, we’ll miss you

According to this MTV.com report, Wesley Willis died yesterday:

Wesley Willis, one of the most unusual characters in music, died Thursday evening, most likely from heart failure. He was 40.

The schizophrenic singer from the streets of Chicago had been recovering at an Illinois hospice after undergoing emergency surgery on June 2 to suppress and identify the source of internal bleeding, according to his record label, Alternative Tentacles, which noted that Willis died peacefully.

Willis, famous for greeting fans with a head butt, was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia at the end of 2002 and his health had been deteriorating rapidly.

Wesley was an inspiration to me when I got started with the street musician thing. Before I hit the street for the very first time on that fateful first of May in 1999, I was listening to his cover of Girls on Film from the Duran Duran Tribute Album. I figured, if he could make music that was fun to listen to, so could I.

I’ll close with what Jello Biafra said about Wesley:

“Wes was deeply religious,” Biafra said. “He was afraid that if he died he would no longer get to go see bands play. If there is a hereafter I hope he’s right up front with Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, his beloved Otis Redding and his dear friend Bradley [Nowell] from Sublime ‘storming the stage’ as the crowd ‘roars like a sea monster.’ All opening for Wesley, of course.