Cowboy comedian shoots from the lip... and Scotland loves it

Dixon’s song titles, for example, include I Love You But I want to Hurt You. Hang on a minute. . . is this not parody?

And during the parts of his show when he’s not singing, which is most of it, Wilson Dixon is offering philosophical insight.

For example, he says he’s proud of America - but not proud of a country that puts cheese in a tube. “Who needs cheese that fast,” he says. Or how the thought “Life is like a salmon swimming upstream. Hard work. And sometimes you get eaten by bears.”

Then it dawns. The PR hasn’t revealed as much (perhaps she doesn’t know) but Wilson Dixon, now performing in Glasgow and Edinburgh at the Stand comedy clubs, may look and sound like he’s a Good Old Boy but he isn’t a real person.

His real name is Jesse Griffin, an actor from New Zealand who came up with this comedy persona that has made him an Antipodean household name.

Yet, many audience members don’t know that the man wearing the long ginger ponytail, dark glasses and stetson is really a Kiwi from the part of gorgeous NZ beach area in which the hit TV series 800 Words was filmed.

“I created the character in 2004,” says Griffin, perhaps surprisingly because most interviews are given in character.

“I was in a comedy trio at the time, The Four Noels, we were all called Noel, and I created Wilson in one of the shows. I didn’t want to do a two-dimensional character that would last two minutes. I’m an actor, so I wanted to create someone who people would think is a real guy.”

He adds, smiling; “And somehow he’s ended up having this long, long life. Perhaps it’s because a lot of people think I’m a real person or an American actor. I love that.”

Griffin didn’t simply want to sing C&W parodies. He knew that would become a little tedious. “I wanted to base the act around the in between chat of a musician. For that you need a character.”

Wilson Dixon sings and chats to audiences as if he’s appearing at his local. He tells of his large, oddball family and his mortal enemy his horse, Andrew. The voice is a gentle outsider’s perspective on the world.

And there’s no doubt it’s a voice audiences love. The Australian Sunday Age newspaper described Griffin’s creation as “an abject lesson in intelligent, understated comedy.”

But how much of Griffin is Wilson Dixon? Is this his true personality screaming to get out? “Yes, in a way he’s a person I’d like to be,” he says, laughing. “He doesn’t get stressed about anything and he’s quite accepting of things. I think he’s a better version of me.”

The Wilson Dixon character didn’t emerge from nowhere. “My dad was a geologist and lots of American geologists would come visit him, laidback guys with names like “Chuck” and “Hyram” and they had long hair and loved The Band and Neil Young. And there was this West Coasty vibe, going on, so I didn’t have to search too hard for a character.”

The Willie Nelson in him had emerged. But has he taken the act to the States? If not, does he think Americans will take to Wilson Dixon?

“Maybe on the East Coast,” he says, smiling. “I’m not so sure about the Deep South.” I am. They’ll kill him. The red necks will think he’s taking the mickey.

“Maybe they will,” he says, grinning. “But I plan to go to Los Angeles next year. My wife is working their so we’ll take the family over. And while I’m there I’ll try out the act in America.”

It will be fascinating to discover will take to his thoughts on life and blinding pieces of insight such as “A good man is hard to find – especially if he’s hiding.”

But Scotland certainly loves the man. And what’s not to love about a C&W singer who opens a song with the line “You and me don’t talk anymore, except to say ‘Don’t talk to me anymore.’”

“Yes, I’ve played the Edinburgh Festival a few times and it goes well. Scots seem to like cowboys with something to say.”

There’s no doubt Griffin is happy to be Wilson for some time to come. “I’m comfortable with him. Sometimes I have a thought and I wonder if Wilson would say that. He just won’t go away.”