Wild Willy Barrett (born Roger John Barrett - May 1950) is an experimental musician and multi-insrumentalist since 1971 from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom best known for his collaborations with John Otway. His musical style has included folk, blues, psychadelia, pop and punk rock and his live performances are punctuated with his dry humour and onstage wit. He is known for virtuoso fiddle playing, ability with a great number of stringed instruments, and playing slide guitar with a whole raw egg (known as egg-necking). During recent Otway/Barrett performances, he has also introduced the 'wah wah wheelie bin'. Barrett is a skilled wood worker and carver and has produced highly unique furniture over many years. In 1986 he made a wooden record sleeve for his album Organic Bondage when he did not have the finances to get a sleeve printed. He is credited with supporting guitar, fiddle and vocals in a number of other albums, from Rolf Harris' version of Bohemian Rhapsody to playing fiddle, guitar and mandolin for George Hamilton IV. Barrett also played pedal steel guitar on the influential Keith Hudson reggae album entitled Rasta Communication, along with Sly and Robbie. Barrett has been performing vocal and strings for Sleeping Dogz, and closed the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009. He toured autumn 2009 with John Otway and toured with Sleeping Dogz in April/May 2010. In 2012, Barrett formed French Connection, using the Sleeping Dogz lineup with the addition of French vocalist Mary-Laure. Their first live performance took place at The Flying Shack, Cheltenham on 9 November 2012. Video clips from this performance can be seen on his website. Further gigs with this lineup are planned for 2013.
