Like many artists in their youth, Minneapolis native Willie Wisely discovered the wonders of rock & roll by immersing himself in the record collections of others. After developing a taste for British Invasion power pop, and glam rock excess, Wisely submerged himself in the thriving mid-'80s northern music scene that spawned such pivotal acts as the Replacements and the Violent Femmes. He dabbled in various bands throughout the end of the decade while working at famed scenester hangout First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry as a promoter, before forming the Willie Wisely Trio with bassist James Voss in 1989. The group toured religiously, releasing three cassette-only records, and two full-lengths before calling it quits in 1995. Instead of wallowing in what could have been, he focused his energies on William & the Conquerors, a Brit-pop band he co-founded with Keith Patterson. The group put out Turn on Tune Out Drop Dead on Get Hip Records and went on to release three more EP's. Meanwhile, his tireless work ethic birthed two acclaimed solo records, both recorded with would-be platinum producer John Fields. She released in 1996, and 1997's Turbosherbert, came out while Wisely simultaneously scored the cult classic film Tromeo and Juliet. Wisely relocated to Los Angeles in 2000 where he continued to dabble in film, scoring John Cebrera's The Man Who Invented the Moon. 2004 saw the release of Go! a best-of from his solo records, soon followed by a new recording titled Parador, produced by Linus of Hollywood, coming out in 2005. By 2008, Wisely had re-released She and Parador in Japan and toured that country twice. Signing with Oglio Records (Fontana) in 2008 saw the release of his self-titled Wisely album--which featured performances by Rusty Anderson, guitarist for Paul McCartney, and notably a video starring actress Jenna Fischer of NBC's The Office––a vocal fan of Wisely's music. Meanwhile his stature as a devoted performer of house concerts grew as he seemingly abandoned nightclubs. After vocal chord surgery in 2010 Wisely returned in 2012 to release the album True, reuniting the original members of his regionally-popular late 80's band the Willie Wisely Trio. Another tour of Japan and a live album titled Turn Up The Suck followed.
