Willis Earl Beal, born in 1983 on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, is an American singer-songwriter and producer. In his early twenties, Beal joined the U.S. Army but was medically discharged due to health issues. He later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he began recording music and leaving CD-Rs in public spaces. This unconventional approach gained him attention when Found Magazine featured him on their cover, leading to a limited-edition box set release called The Willis Earl Beal Collection, which included poetry, artwork, and a 17-song album. In 2012, Beal signed with Hot Charity, an imprint of XL Recordings, and released his debut single, "Evening’s Kiss", followed by the album Acousmatic Sorcery. His subsequent albums include Nobody Knows (2013) and Noctunes (2015). Beal also starred in the musical drama film Memphis, directed by Tim Sutton, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2013.
