Wild Man Fischer
| Wild Man Fischer | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Larry Wayne Fischer |
| Born | November 6, 1944 |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Died | June 16, 2011 (aged 66) |
| Genres | Outsider music |
| Years active | 1968–2006 |
| Labels |
Bizarre, Rhino, Collectors' Choice |
| Associated acts | Frank Zappa, Barnes & Barnes, Mark Mothersbaugh, Rosemary Clooney, Dr. Demento |
Larry Wayne "Wild Man" Fischer (November 6, 1944 – June 16, 2011) was an American songwriter in the outsider genre. He was notable for being responsible for Rhino Records' first release, Go to Rhino Records (1975) and was described as a 'cult figure'.
Larry Wayne Fischer was born in Los Angeles, California, United States and attended Fairfax High School. Fischer was institutionalized at age 16 for attacking his mother with a knife. He was later diagnosed with two mental disorders, severe paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Following his escape from the hospital (he said no one ever bothered to take him back there), Fischer wandered Los Angeles singing his songs a cappella for 10¢ US each to passers-by. Discovered on the street by Frank Zappa, Fischer became an underground concert favorite. Zappa was responsible for Fischer's initial foray into the business of recorded music, an album called An Evening with Wild Man Fischer (1968), which contained 36 tracks, some of which contained minimal musical accompaniment by Frank and members of The Mothers of Invention, while most are simply accurate representations of Larry's street performances (sung and spoken).
Zappa and Fischer soon fell out however, over royalties (Zappa retained the rights to the songs) and because of Larry's bi-polar condition. Zappa's widow, Gail, declined to release An Evening with Wild Man Fischer on CD. The album was reissued after she died.
On September 23, 1968 Larry appeared on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, singing "Leaves Are Falling" and "Merry-Go-Round."
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