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'The most stunningly awful wonderful record': how the Shaggs became rock’s most divisive band
Often completely out of tune and rarely in time, the group of sisters forced to play together by their father gained an army of fans from Frank Zappa to Kurt Cobain. A new documentary celebrates their cult status
TL;DR
- The Shaggs, sisters Dorothy, Betty, and Helen Wiggin, were pushed into a music career by their father, Austin, based on a palm reading prophecy.
- Their father enforced a strict daily regime of practice, limiting their social interactions.
- The band's music, characterized by accidental avant-garde style, poor tuning, and timing, was highly divisive.
- Despite critical reception, artists like Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain became fans, with Zappa calling them 'better than the Beatles'.
- The sisters disbanded after their father's death in 1975, but their music gained renewed attention when NRBQ reissued their album in 1980.
- A new documentary, 'We Are the Shaggs', explores their legacy and aims to 'humanize and dignify' the sisters.
- The Shaggs' music has since achieved cult status, with millions of streams and inspiring other artistic works.
- Despite their eventual recognition, the sisters express mixed feelings about their forced musical career, with Betty stating she wouldn't repeat it.