Reverend Billy C. Wirtz (born William McLean Wirths in 1954) is an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

musician, comedian and writer. His material consists of comedy routines set to music.

Early life and education

William Wirths was born in Aiken, South Carolina, United States. His father worked for the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and his mother was a writer and sociologist who worked to reform the police department. The family moved to Washington, D.C. when William was eight years old.

Career

The comedy album boom of the early 1960s was a significant influence, particularly Allan Sherman's ''My Son, The Folksinger''. He started playing guitar at ten, and played in cover bands in his early teens. Working at the Waxie Maxie's Record Store helped broaden his taste, discovering the blues, as well as jazz and gospel. Wirtz developed a friendship with blues pianist Sunnyland Slim who invited him to Chicago in June 1979. He began his career as a solo artist in 1981. In 1982, he recorded his first album, ''Salvation Through Polyester'', on No Big Deal Records. His song "Teenie Weenie Meanie", described as "a tasteful vignette about a midget lady wrestler" led to a six-month-long contract as a "Manager" with Professional Wrestling From Florida (PWF). While there he worked with Dennis "Mideon" Knight, The Nasty Boys, Gigolo Jimmy Backlund, and Dallas Page. Twelve years later, he returned to professional wrestling with a three-month stint on WTBS '' Monday Nitro''. The Nashville Network, USA Network and NBC have showcased Wirtz's talents, along with nationwide morning radio shows. Similarly, "Waffle House Fire" has been featured on XM Radio's Channel 151, Laugh USA. Wirtz performs concerts and teaches workshops on blues and gospel music. In 1990, his album ''Backslider's Tractor Pull'' won an award for Comedy Album of the Year by the National Association of Independent Record Distributors. Found on that album is his parody about the Waffle House restaurant chain. On his album ''Unchained Maladies'' (1998), he covered Tom Lehrer's "I Hold Your Hand In Mine". He created a humorous church known as The First House Of Polyester Worship and Horizontal Throbbing Teenage Desire, and Our Lady of the White Go-Go Boot, Lord of the 40-Watt Undulating Bubbling Lava Lamp Apocalyptic, No Pizza Take-Out After Twelve, Shrine Of The

Rick Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...

‘WOOOO’, Rasslin' Jeezus. In 2008, Circumstantial Productions published Wirtz's first book, ''Sermons & Songs'', edited by Richard Connolly. In September 2012, Wirtz published his second book, ''Red Headed Geek'', with Holy Macro Books. As of 2014, he hosts a radio program on

WMNF WMNF is a non-commercial, community radio station operating in the city of Tampa in the U.S. state of Florida that broadcasts at the FM frequency of 88.5 MHz and streaming live. The station has been on the air since September 14, 1979, and ...

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

, Florida.

Personal life

Wirtz is married and resides in Ocala, Florida. He tours solo, also with The Nighthawks.

Discography

Singles

*"Stairway to Freebird/On the Rag Again" – No Big Deal Records (1984) *"Rib Ticklin" – Memphis in May International Festival Inc (2000) *"The Best of the Wirtz" (5 track Radio promo) – HighTone Records (2001)

Albums

* ''Salvation Through Polyester'' – No Big Deal Records (1983) * ''Deep Fried and Sanctified'' – King Snake Records (1988), re-released 1989 on HighTone Records * ''Backslider's Tractor Pull'' – HighTone Records (1990) * ''A Turn For the Wirtz: Confessions of a Hillbilly Love God'' – HighTone Records (1992) * ''Pianist Envy'' – HighTone Records (1994) * ''Songs of Faith and Inflammation'' – HighTone Records (1996) * ''Unchained Maladies'' – HighTone Records (1998) * ''The Best of the Wirtz'' – HighTone Records (2001) * ''Rev Elation'' – Rest Stop Records (2004) * ''Sermon from Bethlehem'' – Blind Pig Records (2006) * ''Pianist Envy – Group Therapy''. (with Victor Wainwright, as Pianist Envy) – (2008, later reissued as Roll Models Piana vs Piano) * ''Full Circle'' – EllerSoul Records (2016)

References

External links

* *
Hightone Records web archive

Blind Pig Records profile

Roanoke College's profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wirtz, Billy C.L 1954 births Living people American male composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American comedians American blues singers American male singers Songwriters from South Carolina People from Aiken, South Carolina 21st-century American male musicians Blind Pig Records artists American male songwriters