Before people see Eddie live, they often think he has been booked just because the management wants to be “nice” to him and that he would put on a poor show. But he usually kills all those ideas during the first 20 seconds when he is performing. And so he has done more than 250 live shows in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa. Read more about Eddie in this interview.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! My name is Eddie Wheeler and I’m a musician, author, and entrepreneur born and raised in Sweden. I love touring/travel, to make music, writing and hanging out with friends. Right now I’m working full time on a massive culture project financed by the Swedish government. The project is called “The accessible journey around Sweden”. It’s a project that I hope will make all the musical and cultural venues accessible on a national basis here in Sweden. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever been working on, and I really hope we will make a big impact here in Sweden.

How do you live today, and how was your upbringing?

I live in southern Sweden, right outside a town called Gothenburg which is the second biggest city in Sweden. My childhood was quite tough. I had over 100 breaks and fractures. But I always had lots of love, family and friends around me, so even if it was really tough times I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood.

How is your relationship with the OI community, and how have you benefited from it in your life?

Well. I have had a quite complicated relationship with the OI-community. When I was a child, I did not want to have anything to do with other kids with disabilities. Where I lived, I had a lot of friends around. None of them had any disabilities and they treated me as anyone else.

But when I was hanging around kids that had the same condition as myself, I always felt much more “handicapped” which I didn’t like. So I did everything I could not to be a part of any community. But around age 17-18 I started to meet and hang out with others “like me”. And I started to get involved in the whole disability community here in Sweden. And that commitment just kept on growing.

A couple of years ago I even got elected to be the first president of the Swedish official OI-organisation. So it’s been a cool journey, which I’m very grateful to be a part of. Now I’m working full time making the world and Sweden a little more accessible and more inclusive.

How is a typical work day for you as an artist, and do you think it is any different from artists without a disability?

One of the things I really love about being an artist is that there is no typical day. Haha.
There are always new things and challenges. But if I have to generalize, I have days where I’m just writing music. Then I usually I go into a studio for a week or two and just do recording. Then there is the touring phase. So it’s a little bit “all or nothing”. Today it’s harder to tour because it’s more expensive to travel and do live shows, which is a little bit sad. You have to work smarter, that’s for sure.

I would say being an artist is very different if you don’t have any disability. People don’t believe in you the same way they do in people who don’t have a disability. You always have to shove your skills and music down their throat. And you must be much more daring, bolder and a pain in their butt. I have done like 250-300 live shows in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa. It’s been a crazy crazy ride with so many crazy stories. But even if it’s been harder for me in many ways, I would say I have always met so much support and love from people. I’m grateful I have had the opportunity to see the world and meet many people. I guess you could put it like this: I never went viral or things like that, but I have won hearts and love, and I think that’s even more important.

Did OI influence your decision to become an artist, and how does OI influence your music?

Actually I think it did in some ways. I think the music was a logical way for me to “prove” to other people what you can do even if you are a wheelchair user. It has definitely been an efficient way to smash prejudices among people I meet.

What challenges and prejudices do you meet as a musician with a disability?

A lot. Before people see me live, they often think I will suck on stage. That I have been booked just because the management wants to be “nice” to me. Stuff like that. But I usually kill all those ideas during the first 20 seconds when I’m performing. I can be a beast on stage when I want to. Haha.

How come that you have been performing abroad a lot? What memorable experiences did you have?

I have been playing live and doing shows in 4 continents. I think that’s really cool. Some stages have been so inaccessible that I had to crawl and climb up on stage and I have literally crawled through puke, beer and blood more times than I can even remember.

I’ve had so many memorable experiences. Playing in illegal clubs in Manhattan. Underground parties in New Zealand. I even met and shook hands with his majesty the King of Sweden. Hey Netflix, if you want to make a cool TV-show. I got stories for at least two seasons. Just give me a call!

Which was one of the scariest moments in your life?

Oh, that’s hard. Probably when I bought my first house. I was so scared of the bank and the loans and stuff. To be “stuck” in the system was scary.

Which was one of the happiest moments in your life?

Oh, that’s even harder to choose. It’s impossible to choose just one moment so I would say that the happiest moments are the moments when I have been loved and I have been in love.

Check out one of Eddie’s music videos below! 

If any of our readers want to enjoy more or your music – what should they possibly do?

Well, I just want your attention, not your money. You are more than welcome to watch some of my musical videos free on YouTube. I will release a book based on my tour-life, hopefully next year. Follow me on Instagram and you will hear more when it’s time. Or to follow me on Spotify.
In the meantime – thank you for your time!

This article was first published in OIFE Magazine 2-2025.