Most members of Leeds’ Ultimate Thunder have some kind of learning disability
I’m not sure if this is a controversial statement or not, but I reckon musicians have to be some of the most admirable people in the world. The amount of talent, skill, passion, and sheer creativity they put into their art is incredibly impressive. From independent rock bands to huge pop writing teams, I doff my cap in your direction. Though, as is the case with life generally, there are some artists who find themselves at a slightly different starting point from the rest, not only financially, but also mentally, and possibly physically. However, as things like the paralympics arguably proved, disability is often far from a drawback, with many giving the regular athletes a run for their money.
So, I thought I would delve into this from a musical perspective, putting together a list of 10 musicians that, despite their mental/physical conditions, can still rock out with the best of them.
Shaun Ryder – ADHD
Shaun Ryder had always felt a bit of an odd one out. He was put in the “damage control” class at school, developed an addictive personality leading to many drug problems, and didn’t learn his alphabet until he was in his 20s. It wasn’t until his ADHD diagnosis in 2020 that things really made sense.
Whatever the drawbacks may have been, I think it’s safe to say the pros far outnumber the cons. Starting out with the Happy Mondays in the 1980s, he quickly developed a distinctive style. His brash, loud, yet insanely catchy vocals, combined with his nonsensical acid trip lyrics, made him one of the most recognisable and loved voices in British music, a run of 3 arguable classics under his belt by 1990. ‘Uncle Dysfunktional’ was pretty good too, but we don’t talk about ‘Yes Please.’
Shaun wasn’t done there though, oh no. After jumping ship from the Mondays in 1993, he and professional freaky dancer Bez formed Black Grape, in collaboration with rapper Kermit, and producer Danny Saber. Funnily enough, they ended up surpassing the Mondays in popularity. Their chart topping debut, gold certified follow up, and two great reunion albums took the Mondays’ hedonistic dance-rock, and injected it with hip-hop badassery, funk and soul.
I’m sure no-one ever thought they’d hear “Shaun Ryder” and “national treasure” in the same sentence, but his popularity on reality TV says otherwise, and I’m all the gladder for it.
Joe Allen (Autism)
This is admittedly, a much more underground (and personal) shoutout. You and What Army were the first band I came across that were exponents of the rave/metal fusion popularised by Enter Shikari. You’re telling me there was a band that combined my two favourite genres? Sign me up! Controversies of the lead singer and keyboardist aside, every metal band has to have a great guitar player, and that’s where Joe comes in. While Dave put the “sci-fi” in sci-fi metal, Joe and the others provided the metal.
Though he isn’t too musically inclined anymore, Joe now has a twitch stream and YouTube channel where he has very openly and honestly discussed his struggles with autism, in a way that I’m sure many can relate, particularly with the recent rise of adult diagnoses.
I’ve spoken to Joe a few times on and off, and when I asked him how (in retrospect) it affected his music, he had quite a few insightful words on the matter. “Learning to play guitar was always a very slow process for me. Everything took me a long time to actually understand, and I got confused quite a lot. Sometimes I’d get so frustrated with myself it would feel like a physical sensation and actually be causing me pain.”
“There were times when my brain would really screw me over. I’d nail a song in rehearsals, but then live, every time without fail, I’d be playing out of tune. It’s extremely embarrassing, because you feel incompetent, like you’re letting the rest of the band down. As well as that, whenever I’d arrive at venues, I’d always be filled with intense anxiety knowing I’d have to interact with people, and mask being like a “normal person.” It was really hard.”
Yet, despite all that, as YAWA’s early catalogue will show, he was still more than capable of writing a mean song. Without Joe, tracks like ‘Prism’ or ‘These Machines’ wouldn’t have had nearly the same dramatic, apocalyptic flair provided by his sharp, somewhat desert-y and grungy guitar leads. Other songs like ‘Apocalypse’, ‘Supernova’, ‘I Am the Navigator’, and ‘Step in the Heliosphere’, also wouldn’t have the sick breakdowns and super heavy moments that they do, if it weren’t for a handful of seriously cool riffs. The singer being pushed to the front is inevitable, but every great band has its foundation, and theirs was Joe, Darren and Tom.
The three of them left in early 2008, being replaced by the very talented Kieran Smith, Jamie Hancox and Zak Hammond. Some may argue they were more musically proficient, and they did make some great music, but I’ll always have a soft spot for the early stuff, and a lot of that is down to Joe.
Wesley Willis – Schizophrenia
A bonafide legend in outsider art circles, the music of Wesley Willis is hard to describe to people that aren’t in the know. A Chicago native, Willis used the vehicles of music and drawing in order to help battle his Schizophrenia, or “hell rides” as he called them.
His lyrics were often just as blunt and vulgar as they were hilarious. They could quite literally be about anything. Batman, McDonalds, Dave Grohl, and Osama bin Laden were among his numerous subjects. The music often manifested itself as Willis chanting repetitive refrains over keyboard stock backing tracks, often used multiple times on different songs. Additionally, he often humorously concluded his tracks with a variety of disconnected brand slogans.
So it might not be for everyone, but Willis has garnered a cult fanbase, who praise his honesty, purity and creativity. Plus, he had his own pretty wicked metal band in the 90s, The Wesley Willis Fiasco, that’s well worth checking out. Rock over London, rock on, Chicago!
Daniel Johnston – Bipolar/Schizophrenia
Like Wesley, Daniel Johnston is a legend to many. Everyone from the great Kurt Cobain, to Simpsons creator Matt Groening sang his praises, and for good reason. It seems like from a young age, Daniel felt different. Yet, on top of his struggles with bipolar and schizophrenia, he suffered all the same troubles, and many more, as everyone else: heartbreak, anxiety, fear, love, loss, etc. So, armed with such life experiences, as well as a tape recorder, acoustic guitar, piano, and chord organ, in his mum’s basement, he began writing.
A lot of these early recordings are very lo-fi in nature, featuring Daniel crooning, wailing, narrating and monologuing over dusty chords and stolen vinyl recordings. They absolutely have charm though, that’s for sure. Not to mention that tracks like ‘Story of an Artist’ and ‘Walking The Cow’ showed a serious talent for songwriting very early on.
Indeed, not one for poetic flim-flam, his lyrics were often a focal point. The feelings of love, happiness, and whimsy, along with deep depression and mental illness were laid out in such a stark, honest way that they reached levels of genuine tragedy, unlike very little that came before. Yet, as his profile grew, he kept on writing and writing, releasing numerous albums up until his death in 2019.
So, if you ever decide to trawl through his catalogue, wherever you start, you’re sure to find something utterly heartbreaking, yet truly beautiful.
Ultimate Thunder – Various
These guys are genuinely a really interesting group. Formed in Leeds, and made up of members suffering from a variety of issues, including down syndrome, their music has been described as ‘The Fall meets Hawkwind’, as well as “the most punk band in the UK.” Well, disability or not, what I can say, it’s pretty damn awesome. These guys can rock.
Although they’ve been playing together since 2013, they received funding from Arts Council England to record their debut album in 2022. What came out the other end was a raucous, noisy post-punk record, sure to please any underground rock fan, fit with wiry riffs, groovy beats, and characterful, brash vocals.
Though their last two albums have been very well received, their funding was cut in February, leaving the future of the band up in the air. Go and listen to their stuff, I implore you. Once you have, I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that I really want them to carry on. They’ve got a new EP coming out on May 10th (pre-order available now), and I’m very excited for it. Here’s to hoping it’s not the last.
Django Reinhardt – Injured Fingers
Things almost seemed destined to go wrong for Django Reinhardt. Growing up in a gypsy settlement, he nearly burnt his home down with a candle in 1928, badly injuring his right leg. More pivotal though was the burning of his two fingers, leaving him mostly unable to use them. This would put an end to most guitarists’ dreams, but not Django, he persevered.
Already a highly accomplished jazz player with a knack for compelling melodies, using a 6-string steel guitar, he was able to overcome his injury. He used his lateral thinking, and pioneered a technique that mostly required only the use of his three remaining fingers.
It would be amazing just managing to play in such conditions. What was even more incredible is that, in the eyes of some, Django’s ingenuity, combined with his pre-existing skills, saw him surpass his previous abilities. One critic called his style “hugely innovative”, and said that “it is little wonder that guitar players were knocked sideways upon their first encounter with this full-blown genius.”
Today, Django is revered as one of the all-time jazz guitar greats, having had an illustrious career, including playing Carnegie Hall twice. His influence is still felt across music now. He’s inspired tributes from the Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, and most notably Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. He too lost the use of two of his fingers, and was inspired to pick up the guitar again after hearing Django’s story and music. So, next time you’re jamming out to ‘Paranoid’, just know you have Django to thank for it.
Ian Dury – Polio
Ian Dury was a pivotal figure in the UK punk and new wave scene. Starting with his work with Kilburn and Highroad, and later The Blockheads, he developed a distinctive, flamboyant performance style, beloved the world over. His lyrics were often filled with a mix of humour and poignant social commentary, making his work all the more enjoyable. Who couldn’t listen to lyrics like “I had a love affair with Nina, in the back of my Cortina. A seasoned-up hyena could not have been more obscener” and not laugh? Combine that with an animated, Cockneyfied vocal delivery and infectious, funky rock n roll, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Despite his vibrant persona though, there was also great tragedy for Ian in his life. He caught Polio at age 7, resulting in chronic back pain and several withering limbs. Not only that, but Dury was known to have consistently battled cancer throughout the 90s, to which he eventually, sadly, succumbed. Far be it from that to stifle his flair though. In fact, the face of these mounting negatives, Dury pushed on, entertaining audiences with his fun-loving, punk music hall vibes until the bitter end.
The great posthumous album ‘Ten More Turnips from the Tip’ is testament to this fact. That’s especially true when you know that, at one point, he was so ill he couldn’t even record guide vocals for certain songs on it. The fact they came out as vibrant, lively, and fun as they did is astonishing. When I hear a story as inspirational as Ian’s, in a weird way, it really is a reason to be cheerful.
Stevie Wonder – Blindness
I don’t know what I can really say about Stevie Wonder that hasn’t already been said. There’s been a long history of blind musicians in popular culture. Ray Charles, “Blind” Willie Johnson, Jeff Healey. I could go on. A common denominator between all of these is that they’ve all produced some great music. Yet Stevie arguably sits atop the pile.
You might be wondering exactly how someone can master multiple instruments if they can’t see. It stumped me too. Luckily, Stevie is known for his organic “feel-based” approach to writing, and they do say your other senses get better if you lose one (I apologise for the pun). In any case, while Stevie may not have had the “luxury” of sight at all, developing blindness at birth, his determination to overcome it drove him to make some incredible incredible music, including immortal classics like ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’, ‘Superstition’, and ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You.’
The majority of artists struggle to make any kind of palpable impact in their careers. On the other hand, with all the cards stacked against him, Stevie has become one of the most influential of all time. He’s inspired countless musicians in the fields of gospel, soul, pop, funk, and jazz, as well as laying the groundwork for RnB as we know it today. Whichever way you slice it, that’s pretty damn cool.
Jason Becker – ALS
I’ll admit that Jason Becker wasn’t at all a name I was familiar with before now, but his story is one that I find quite moving. A fairly well known face in the realms of neoclassical metal, Becker is essentially the personification of a “guitar hero.” Starting out by playing with future Megadeth guitarist Martin Friedman as Cacophony, they released two seriously epic sounding albums in the late 80s. He also went on to release the very impressive ‘Perpetual Burn’ in 1988, and joined David Lee Roth of Van Halen’s solo band in replacement of Steve Vai soon after.
It was when playing with DLR that things took a turn. After flaring up a “slight limp” in his left leg, he was soon diagnosed with ALS. While he was able to finish recording using adapted techniques, his condition soon left him immobile and non-verbal. As he definitively proves though, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Mental sharpness still very much intact, Becker continues to compose music using only his eyes, with the aid of specially developed computer software. Not unlike world famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in a way, I suppose. Somewhat like Hawking, incidentally, not meaning to be crass, some of the stuff Becker comes up with is pretty genius.
His persistence and resilience in the face of such a debilitating condition is highly admirable. In the CD booklet for his 1996 album ‘Perspective’, he said “I have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It has crippled my body and speech, but not my mind.” Rock on, man!
J Dilla – TTP & Lupus
Few hip-hop producers have the enduring influence of J Dilla. Coming up as a member of the Soulquarians with Questlove and D’Angelo, he soon made a name for himself as a prominent producer. His trademark style was based on chopped and twisted soul, funk, and disco samples, atop off-kilter, “drunken beats.” J Dilla thought that turning off the quantise on his MPC would lead to a cooler, more human feel. He was right. His incredibly unique style was in high demand, producing beats for The Pharcyde and Erika Badu among many others. It seemed like there was no stopping him.
Tragically, in a sick twist of fate, around 2003, J Dilla began experiencing dramatic weight loss among other symptoms, leading him to confirm his ill health the next year. We now know he developed both TTP, a disease causing blood clots and brain dysfunction, as well as Lupus, with a number of painful side effects, years prior. Even with such a daunting diagnosis, he wasn’t going to let that stop him, if anything, becoming more prolific in his final years. Remarkably, he managed to record 2 whole albums while in hospital.
‘The Shining’ was about 75% done at the time of his passing, and featured amazing tracks like ‘E=MC2.’ What was truly special though, was ‘Donuts.’ Released a mere 3 days before his untimely passing, it put Dilla’s skills and creativity front and centre, in their most potent forms, featuring incredible beats like ‘Workinonit’, ‘Stop’, ‘The Diff’rence’ and ‘Don’t Cry.’ Many people consider it Dilla’s magnum opus, with good reason. Granted, I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of this phenomenon, but J Dilla, Hardy Fox, and David Bowie are the only three people I can think of that defied all odds, and produced genuine masterpieces in the wake of imminent death. That’s a huge achievement.
Honourable Mention: Brian Wilson – schizoaffective disorder
I just wanted to give a quick final shoutout to the Beach Boys’ primary songwriter, Brian Wilson. There’s no particular reason why he wasn’t on the main list other than I had to keep it to ten, but his achievements are obviously just as commendable. Brian has suffered a number of health problems throughout his life. Namely, in 1965, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, manifesting itself in auditory hallucinations.
Instead of letting it beat him down though, Brian used it to his advantage, taking inspiration from his problems and turning them into songs. That’s impressive enough on its own, but I reckon anyone dealing with that, who can then turn around and make an album so good in ‘Pet Sounds’ that it lit a fire under The Beatles’ collective arse? Well, that’s something else altogether.
There you have it then! Examples of 10 (technically more) artists who threw the proverbial middle finger up to their illnesses, and created some absolutely fantastic music as a result. Being someone with a disability of sorts myself, writing this article has made me realise that, encouragingly, whatever obstacles I might face, my disability can’t stop me from making awesome music. My being a crap musician is probably a bigger issue though.
