Wheeler Walker Jr.

Behind Wheeler Walker Jr. is Ben Hoffman, a comedian, actor and writer born in Lexington, Kentucky, who has developed a deliberately outrageous country-singer persona out of Nashville. The character first appeared in 2013 in a sketch on The Ben Show and became a full-fledged musical project with Redneck Shit in 2016, produced by Dave Cobb, followed by Ol’ Wheeler (2017), WW III (2018), Sex, Drugs & Country Music (2022) and Ram (2023). Wheeler Walker Jr.’s music is rooted in traditional country, outlaw country and country rock, with arrangements grounded in the Nashville aesthetic, while the lyrics operate as satire and musical-theatre comedy, openly sexual and vulgar in register. This contrast between a very classic form and parodic writing places Wheeler Walker Jr. at the crossroads of country, Southern rock and humour. The project has circulated on American country and Americana stages through several US tours, notably a date at the Ryman Auditorium in 2022 and appearances alongside Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson and Nikki Lane.