Wally was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of college students. As a child, he played football, dodgeball, and monopoly. Then one day on a relatively cloudy afternoon, Wally heard "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick. His life would never be the same.
Wally started mimicking his favorite rockers in the mirror with a cardboard guitar. Then, on his 14th birthday, his parents offered to pay for his guitar lessons. Armed with only an REO Speedwagon songbook and a dream, Wally got on the road to guitar proficiency. Soon he began writing his own songs, with such early classics as "Who Ate My Soup" and "Ouch."
After high school, Wally attended Michigan State University. At this point, he began performing at various open mic nights, each week writing a new song to pacify the clove-cigarette-smoking angst-ridden youth at local coffee houses. His repertoire quickly grew to over 157 original songs. A local radio station requested material, but Wally had not yet recorded. So, he sat down with a boom box, and filled a 90-minute Memorex tape with his songs. That tape sold over 5,000 copies.
Wally next began releasing CDs. His first, Songs About Stuff, came out in 1992 and was an instant hit on college radio. Four more CDs followed, including Welcome to Pleasantville, Houses of the Holy Moly, Wally World and Hoedown.
Wally's recordings have charted in the Top 20 nationally on the CMJ and Gavin College charts. His music has been featured on such syndicated programs as Acoustic Cafe, Dr. Demento, and The Difference, not to mention Ted Nugent's morning radio show in Detroit. All told, Miranda Records has sold over 75,000 units of Wally's music. He has toured all over the country (except Oregon), and been featured in Billboard and The Wall Street Journal.
Wally is the quintessential every man who uses humor to pull the listener in and irony and sincerity to provoke thought and warm the heart. His live shows are like escaping to a planet where everyone is nice. And it's well worth the trip!
Email: wp@wallypleasant.com
(read less)Wally was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of college students. As a child, he played football, dodgeball, and monopoly. Then one day on a relatively cloudy afternoon, Wally heard "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick. His life would never be the same.
Wally started mimicking his favorite rockers in the mirror with a cardboard guitar. Then, on his 14th birthday, his parents offered to pay for his guitar lessons. Armed with only an REO Speedwagon songbook and a dream, Wally got on the road...
(read more)
