Buddy Wakefield

Overview

Poet Buddy Wakefield is a three-time world champion spoken word artist featured on the BBC, ABC Radio National, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, NPR and most recently signed to Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.

In the spring of 2001, Buddy left his position as the executive assistant at a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, WA, sold or gave away everything he owned, moved to the small town of Honda Civic and set out to live for a living, touring North American performing venues through 2003.  He still tours full time.  In 2004, he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Finals, thanks to the support of anthropologist and producer Normal Lear, then successfully defended that title at the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands against the national champions of seven European countries.  In 2005, he won the Individual Poetry Slam Championship again and has gone on to share the stage with nearly every notable performance poet in the world.  Wakefield delivers raw, rounded, disarming performances of humor and heart.