Wanz - The Incredible Story of the Unlikeliest Pop Star


In the span of about a year, Wanz went from being a down on his luck software engineer, to singing one of the most ubiquitous hooks in recent memory. When his deep voice informed us of Macklemore’s want to “pop some tags” on “Thrift Shop,” it launched an indie hip-hop artist to mainstream fame, and put Wanz, who never imagined that he’d gain notoriety in his 50s, firmly in the spotlight, as well.

“I still don’t think of myself as that big a deal,” Wanz says, humbly, “because I sing on somebody else’s song.”

Wanz is a big deal to many, however, as “Thrift Shop” has him up for two Grammy Awards, and he says the ceremony is already in his datebook. He hopes to meet Quincy Jones at the event, as he notes Jones has not only been a huge inspiration to him, he’s also, like Wanz, a Seattle guy. “He went to Garfield High School, just like Ben (aka Macklemore). Not very many people know that.”

Something else not very many people know is Wanz’ story. It’s an incredibly gripping one that involves the Seattle music scene during the birth of the grunge era, a personal battle with addiction, and his eventual, unexpected, musical triumph. He sat down with me to tell us all about it.

Read the full interview at RapReviews.com.

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