John Hinckley Jr who shot Ronald Reagan to woo Jodie Foster now performs love songs on YouTube
John Hinckley Jr, who tried to kill former President Ronald Reagan 40 years ago in order to impress actress Jodie Foster, now posts videos of himself performing love songs and other tunes on YouTube and is slowly racking up some followers.
The 66-year-old, who spent 35 years in a psychiatric hospital following his attempt to kill the former POTUS, went to court last year for permission to showcase his talent by being able to disseminate his music under his own name. Not only was he allowed to post his performances on YouTube, he will also be able to cash in on the same. Since then, he has set up his own YouTube account and in five months has gathered around 1,900 subscribers.
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Hinckley posts both covers as well as original compositions
Apart from posting covers of classics like Bob Dylan’s 'Blowing in the Wind' and Elvis’ 'Can’t Stop Falling in Love', he has also performed some original songs—most of which are romantic. It is uncertain if the songs were composed by him. He is also seen strumming the guitar while singing songs like 'Majesty of Love,' which has lyrics like “when every couple settles down, goodness will be found,” and “before the negativity, there’s still you and me.” His YouTube channel makes no reference to his controversial past.
The comments on his songs have been mostly positive. “You may have missed with Reagan but this one’s a hit,” a user commented. Some fans of his work have even left recommendations of covers they would like him to perform on. So far, he has not been performing in any professional studio, and instead, his music videos are recorded in what appears to be a bedroom decorated with a number of clocks.
After being released into the custody of his mother in Virginia in 2018, he was undergoing mental health evaluations when Hinckley admitted that he was struggling with his dating life. At the time his medical team reportedly discussed the possibility of online dating, although some of them had argued that it was “far too risky” for him. Part of his therapy reportedly involved Hinckley playing guitar and painting. In 2011, he told his doctors he wanted to reform his reputation which was stuck at being a would-be assassin. “I have these other aspects of my life that no one knows about. I’m an artist. I’m a musician. Nobody knows that. They just see me as the guy who tried to kill Reagan,” he said.
Why was Hinckley arrested?
On March 30, 1981, Hinckley opened fire on Reagan outside a Washington, DC, hotel. The POTUS was wounded in the lung and in the process, three others were injured, including press secretary James Brady, who ended up using a wheelchair until his death in 2014. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Park Dietz diagnosed Hinckley with narcissistic and schizoid personality disorders and dysthymia, as well as borderline and passive-aggressive features. It was this expert who reportedly said that the socially isolated, awkward Hinckley thought he had a chance with actress Jodie Foster because she was "approachable."
During his trial, the defense argued Hinckley was mentally ill and had become obsessed with the movie 'Taxi Driver' and Foster, whom he had stalked. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity.