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He was taken with drawing and became obsessed with the Beatles.
When I was 19, I wanted to be the Beatles, he would later recall in a1989 interview.
I was disappointed when I found out I couldnt sing.
Hi, how are you?
Im Daniel Johnston, and Im gonna be famous.
He could natter on about bicycle safety, but he also reproduced the thrill of speed on Speeding Motorcycle.
Johnstons songs were fragile in a way that could disarm even the most cynical of us.
His enthusiastic yip and uncanny knack for soaring choruses was undeniable no matter the low fidelity.
Its the only way to explain the glorious triumph of a song like Walking the Cow.
But even without much fame or success, Johnstons influence began to spread.
His drawings caught notice in the world of outsider art and galleries.
His songs comprised a rock opera.
Themoving 2005 documentaryThe Devil and Daniel Johnstoncaptured the many contradictions of the man.
Stories abound about how he nearly killed himself and his father on a flight.
In that way, Daniel Johnston will continue to welcome the most fragile of us.
