Moondog

 

 

Moondog, born Louis Thomas Hardin (1916 – 1999), was an ultra-talented, unconventional, homeless, blind American composer, musician, poet and inventor of several musical instruments with funny names such as oo the ooo-ya-tsu the hüs and the trimba. Once moving in New York Mondoog deliberately decided to make his home on the streets for 20years and could be daily seen at his chosen part on 6th Avenue dressed as a Viking. Regarding his outfit choices Moondog said: ‘I don’t dress as I do to attract attention; I attract attention because I dress as I do’.

Click here to listen to one of his most famous pieces called Bird’s Lament and my very favourite Viking 1.