Reagan Shooter John Hinckley Jr. Shares Original Country Songs On Spotify
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John Hinckley Jr. , who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, is now trying to make his name as a country music singer.
Hinckley has been posting his original songs on YouTube for the past 10 months, but joined Spotify just this past week, a fact he noted on Twitter, which he also just joined.
Hello everybody, this is the real John Hinckley. I’m now a singer/songwriter. I have 10 original songs on Spotify and the other streaming sites. Check them out. Also, check out my YouTube channel.
— John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) October 19, 2021
Some of the titles, which are also on Apple Music and other streaming platforms, include “We Are Drifting on the Sea,” “The Majesty of Love” and “Roses and Laces.”
Most are just Hinckley and his guitar, but “We Have Got That Chemistry” was recorded with a full band. Although he doesn’t have the vocal chops of Merle Haggard or the songwriting prowess of Hank Williams, the songs are well-constructed and his voice sounds similar to that of the late alternative singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston.
None of the songs mention Hinckley’s shooting of Reagan, which hit the then-president in the lung and wounded three other people — including press secretary James Brady, who was partially paralyzed and ultimately died from the wound 33 years later, according to the Daily Beast. His 2014 death was ruled a homicide, but Hinckley was not charged.
Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982 after arguing he was mentally ill and obsessed with the movie “Taxi Driver” and actor Jodie Foster, whom he had stalked.
Hinckley was held in psychiatric detention until 2016, when he was released to the care of his mother in Virginia, subject to court-imposed restrictions. Those restrictions were lifted this September after a federal judge found he had “no symptoms of active mental illness, no violent behavior and no interest in weapons since 1983,” according to an Associated Press report.
Hinckley avoided mentioning his past on Twitter, preferring to pontificate about his career goals and favorite country musicians.
I’m looking for a Colonel Tom Parker. By the way, it took 4 Beatles to equal one ELVIS.
— John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) October 19, 2021
No one can touch Hank Williams Sr. He’s still the best. Today’s country music is lousy. I like the classic country sound from the 50’s and 60’s. You can hear it in my country songs.
— John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) October 19, 2021
Hinckley did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
As you might expect, news that a former would-be assassin is now attempting to pursue a music career attracted lots of attention, but few were exactly singing Hinckley’s praises.
I have about a thousand jokes teed up but they are all in poor taste so I'm going to let it slide. https://t.co/aO6tqF7sYe
— David B. Larter (@DavidLarter) October 20, 2021
Is he serious? This is the last guy to attempt to assassinate a US President. Bad enough he was granted unconditional release, but his attempt at making music is criminal. Plus I'm kinda stunned this even exists. https://t.co/qxI2qGeniS
— Nicole Sandler (@nicolesandler) October 19, 2021
https://t.co/hzJfKypM8npic.twitter.com/M6tqtM2Z4x
— Jacob Silverman (@SilvermanJacob) October 19, 2021
this is what they call the long game https://t.co/4ukAGjARPa
— John DeVore (@JohnDeVore) October 20, 2021
Yet even more signs we're living in a Philip K. Dick universe. https://t.co/0VZd2F0ppQ
— Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) October 20, 2021
There really is a "before" and "after" line for the world that was drawn in 2016. https://t.co/Hkawb6PuVi
— Liam... MCENEANEY!!! (@HeyItsLiam) October 19, 2021
You can see and hear Hinckley sing one of his originals below.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.